Lufthansa announced that it will continue to suspend flights to five Middle East destinations until August 26 due to ongoing regional tensions.
The affected cities are Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil. The airline also stated that it will avoid flying over Iranian and Iraqi airspace until the same date.
This extension follows a previous announcement last Monday that had extended the suspension and airspace avoidance to August 21, originally set to end on August 13.
Lufthansa is offering affected passengers the option to rebook or cancel their flights without any charges and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the current circumstances.
Additionally, Air France and Transavia France have extended their suspension of flights to Beirut until Wednesday, August 14, having stopped these flights since July 29.
The decision to resume flights will depend on further assessments of the situation on the ground. However, Air France will continue to operate flights to Tel Aviv.
Other airlines have recently adjusted their flight schedules in the region, which has seen increased tensions following the assassination of significant figures from Hezbollah and Hamas, attributed to Israel.
This has led to frequent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated that the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Hamas presents an opportunity to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages in Gaza.
In a statement issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Lammy emphasized, “We are at a critical juncture for the stability of the region, and the coming hours and days could shape the future of the Middle East. We urge our partners across the region to choose peace.”
He highlighted that “these talks offer a chance to secure an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians in Gaza, release hostages, and restore stability in this dangerous time for the region.”
