Swiss International Air Lines announced on Monday that it has extended the suspension of its flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until August 21st.
The airline also stated that its aircraft would avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Israel until the same date. This extension follows a previous announcement that had already suspended flights until August 13th.
In a related move, the Lufthansa Group, a major German airline conglomerate, also extended its flight suspensions to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil until August 21st, citing concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The company communicated via an email statement that it would not utilize Iranian and Iraqi airspace during this period.
Furthermore, other airlines, including American carriers Delta and United, have indefinitely cancelled their flights to Tel Aviv.
These cancellations come in the wake of anticipated escalations following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, and Fouad Shukr, a military commander in Hezbollah.
The Israeli newspaper Globes, in its English edition, reported that United Airlines was the first to announce the cancellation of its flights to Israel until further notice, followed by several other airlines, negatively impacting tourism.
In a statement, the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority explained that “some foreign airlines have stopped or reduced their flights to Israel for internal reasons.”
The newspaper listed the airlines that have cancelled some or all of their flights to Israel, including United Airlines, Israel’s Arkia, Germany’s Lufthansa Group, Italy’s ITA Airways, Air India, Iberia Express, and Air Europa.
Simultaneously, Israel’s largest airline, El Al, announced late yesterday that it would be enhancing its flight schedule from Larnaca, Cyprus, and Athens, Greece, offering new flights at a unified price of $228 from Larnaca and $283 from Athens for passengers whose flights were cancelled by other airlines and who wish to travel to Israel.
