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Several airlines have suspended flights to Beirut, amid the ongoing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which has seen the heaviest air strikes ever in Lebanon since the exchange of fire on both sides of the border began about a year ago over the war in Gaza.
The most prominent companies have suspended their flights to and from the Lebanese capital, following the killing of at least 558 people since Monday, with hundreds of Israeli raids on several areas in Lebanon, according to the Ministry of Health.
Air France announced on Tuesday that it had extended the suspension of its flights to and from Beirut for an additional week “inclusive” but was operating “normally” on the route to Tel Aviv. Its low-cost subsidiary Transavia, which also flies to those two cities, has also “suspended its flights to Beirut.”
The German company “Lufthansa” announced extending the suspension of its flights to and from Tel Aviv and Tehran until October 14.
Lufthansa continued to “monitor the situation closely and will assess it further in the coming days,” the company said on its website.
The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission also announced that it had taken “a decision to suspend the operation of Jordanian airlines’ flights to Beirut until further notice.”
In contrast, EgyptAir issued a statement saying, “In light of the events taking place in the sisterly country of Lebanon, EgyptAir has decided to cancel its flights from Cairo to Beirut until the situation inside the country stabilizes.”
Emirates Airlines said in a statement that its flights “between Dubai and Beirut on September 24 and 25, 2024” have been cancelled.
She added, “We continue to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and are in contact with the relevant authorities regarding developments and will provide updates as needed. The safety of our crew and customers is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.”
The UAE’s Etihad Airways also said in a statement that it had cancelled “its services to and from Beirut on Wednesday, September 25, in response to ongoing regional developments,” after having cancelled flights on Tuesday.
The company said it was “monitoring the situation across the region and continuing to maintain close contact with the authorities.”
Similarly, flydubai confirmed that it has suspended flights to the Lebanese capital for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Flydubai flights between Dubai International Airport and Beirut International Airport on 24 and 25 September have been cancelled due to ongoing developments,” a company spokesperson said.
In turn, Qatar Airways confirmed in a statement that “due to the current situation in Lebanon, Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended its flights to and from Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut until September 25.”
“The safety of our passengers remains our top priority,” she added.
“All our flights are fully booked because other airlines have cancelled flights. There is not a single seat available for any destination before Sunday,” said a source at Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, who asked not to be identified.
Delta Air Lines has suspended flights between New York and Tel Aviv until the end of the year.
British Airways, which does not operate flights to Lebanon, also suspended its flights to Tel Aviv on Tuesday until Thursday, due to the security situation in the region.
