On Thursday, Lufthansa announced a halt to all its flights to Tel Aviv until August 8 and has prolonged the pause on its Beirut flights until August 12.
A spokesperson for the German airline group, which encompasses SWISS and Austrian Airlines, stated, “In light of recent events, we are once again modifying our operations in the Middle East.”
Lufthansa’s decision comes amidst escalating tensions and instability in the Middle East, which often influence international airlines’ operational decisions for the safety of passengers and crew.
Regions experiencing conflict or political instability can lead to heightened risks for air travel, prompting airlines to temporarily suspend services.
Decisions like these are based on assessments of safety data and advisories from international aviation and security bodies.
Flights at Beirut airport have experienced cancellations and delays, with Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines (MEA) attributing the disruptions to insurance risks amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lufthansa has halted five routes to and from Beirut involving its carriers Swiss International Air Lines, Eurowings, and Lufthansa until July 30, citing cautionary measures.
Additionally, flight information from Beirut Airport and Flightradar24 revealed that Turkish Airlines cancelled two flights on Sunday night.
Other airlines, including Türkiye-based budget airline SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ subsidiary AJet, Greek airline Aegean Airlines, Ethiopian Air, and MEA, have also called off flights scheduled to arrive in Beirut on Monday, according to Flightradar24.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation at Beirut International Airport, Fadi el-Hassan, affirmed that all international airlines operating daily flights to and from Beirut undergo annual security audits at Beirut International Airport.
El-Hassan stated in an interview with the American channel Alhurra that rumours about Hezbollah using the Lebanese airport to store weapons are baseless. He added that the purpose of such rumours is to tarnish Lebanon’s reputation and its public facilities.
