German aviation group Lufthansa said on Monday it was extending the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Erbil until August 21 due to ongoing tensions in the region. It said it would also avoid using Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 21, an extension from an earlier date of August 13.
Affected passengers can rebook or cancel their trips free of charge, Lufthansa said, adding that it regrets the inconvenience caused “as a result of the current situation”. Also on Monday, Air France and its subsidiary Transavia France again extended the suspension of their flights to Beirut until Wednesday, August 14.
The flights have been suspended since July 29 and their resumption “will depend on a new assessment of the situation on the ground,” Air France said in a statement. The French airline will continue to serve Tel Aviv Airport. Other airlines have also recently adjusted their flight schedules in the region. Tensions have soared as Iran and its allies vowed revenge for the high-profile killings of Hezbollah’s top military commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran late last month. both blamed Israel. Hezbollah exchanges fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border almost daily.
