Airlines Cancel Flights to Israel, Lebanon
Western carriers and Singapore Airlines also avoid flying over Iran
After rising tensions caused by an attack in Iran that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, many airlines have canceled flights from Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, to Tel Aviv in Israel and are avoiding overflying Iran.
The Italian flag carrier said that “in view of the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and in order to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews, ITA Airways has decided to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv, starting August 1, up to and including August 6. The situation is constantly evolving.”
Two other major European airlines, Germany’s Lufthansa and Switzerland’s Swissair, canceled flights to Tel Aviv until August 8 and to Beirut until August 12. They are joined by Polish airline LOT, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, US carriers United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and Air India.
Singapore Airlines has stopped flying over Iran, whose airspace has been avoided by European and US companies since April, when Israel and Iran exchanged missile and drone attacks. According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Middle Eastern carriers, such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Flydubai, as well as Turkish Airlines and Russian carriers, including the national airline Aeroflot, are still flying over Tehran’s skies.
