The Lufthansa Group said it had also decided to “avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Jordan until October 2 inclusive”, adding that “flights will continue to avoid Israeli airspace until October 31 inclusive”. File | Photo: Reuters
Leading European airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Swiss on Tuesday (1 October 2024) announced they were extending the suspension of their flights to the Middle East as tensions rise across the region.
The moves come as Israel strikes Beirut and a senior White House official has warned against it Iran was preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack “immediately” against Israel.
Read also: Iran Fires Missiles At Israel Live Updates October 2, 2024
KLM has postponed until the end of the year the suspension of its once-daily flight to Tel Aviv “in view of the situation in the region”, spokeswoman Elvira van der Wis said. AFP.
The Dutch airline already announced in August 2024 that it was suspending flights to Israel until October 26, 2024.
Also on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), German airline Lufthansa announced it was suspending flights to Beirut until and including November 30, 2024. Lufthansa group flights to Tel Aviv will be canceled until October 31, 2024, while flights to Tehran remain canceled until October 14, 2024.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers,” the group said.
Later on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), the Lufthansa Group said it had also decided to “avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Jordan until and including October 2,” adding that “flights will continue to avoid the airspace of Israel up to and including October 31”.
The Lufthansa group, whose carriers also include Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, has repeatedly changed its flight schedule in recent months due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, as have other airlines.
Following the lead of its parent company, Swiss said the extension of the flight suspension was “intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews”.
The Israeli military said it was began a ground offensive in Lebanon and that its forces were involved in clashes on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), further escalating the conflict after a week of intense airstrikes that killed hundreds.
Meanwhile, a senior White House official said AFP on condition of anonymity that the United States had indications that Iran was preparing to launch a missile attack on Israel “immediately.”
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the official said, warning that such action would “carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Published – 02 Oct 2024, 07:45 AM IST
