Airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise

Passengers wait near check-in desks inside Beirut-Rafic Al Hariri International Airport in Beirut on October 17, 2024. (REUTERS/File)

• Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East are spreading
• Dozens of airlines have canceled services to and from the region

Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
Below are some of the airlines that have canceled services to and from the region:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The Greek airline has canceled flights to and from Beirut until March 29 and to and from Tel Aviv until Dec. 10. From Dec. 11, some flights to and from Tel Aviv will operate as normal.
AIR ALGERIE
The Algerian airline has suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.
AIRBALTIC
Latvia’s airBaltic has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Dec. 21.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
Air France has extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv flights until Dec. 31 and Paris-Beirut flights until Jan. 5.
KLM has extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of the year at least.
The group’s low-cost unit Transavia has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Amman and Beirut until end-March.
AIR INDIA
The Indian flag carrier has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.
BULGARIA AIR
The Bulgarian carrier has canceled flights to and from Israel until Dec. 23.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 25, 2025.
CORENDON AIRLINES
The Turkish airline canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until January.
DELTA AIR LINES
The US carrier has paused flights between New York and Tel Aviv through March 2025.
EASYJET
EasyJet will not rush to resume flights to Tel Aviv after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, its incoming CEO said on Nov. 27. The UK budget airline had previously suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until March.
EGYPTAIR
The Egyptian carrier in September said it had suspended flights to Beirut until “the situation stabilizes.”
EMIRATES
UAE’s state-owned airline has canceled flights to Beirut until Dec. 31 and to Baghdad until Dec. 14.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
The Ethiopian carrier has suspended flights to Beirut until further notice, it said in a Facebook post on Oct. 4.
FLYDUBAI
Flights to Beirut are currently suspended, a flydubai spokesperson said on Nov. 28.
IAG
IAG-owned British Airways has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until the end of March 2025.
IAG’s low-cost airline Iberia Express has canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Nov. 30, while Vueling has canceled operations to Tel Aviv and to Amman until at least early 2025.
IRAN AIR
The Iranian airline has canceled Beirut flights until further notice.
IRAQI AIRWAYS
The Iraqi national carrier has suspended flights to Beirut until further notice.
 ITA AIRWAYS
The Italian carrier has extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights through Jan. 12.
LOT
The Polish carrier has canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Dec. 9. Its first scheduled flight to Beirut is planned for April 1.
LUFTHANSA GROUP
The German airline group has extended the suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv until Jan. 31.
Flights for Tehran are canceled until Jan. 31, 2025, and to Beirut until Feb. 28.
SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has suspended flights to Beirut through Dec. 17.
PEGASUS
The Turkish airline has canceled flights to Beirut until Jan 1.
QATAR AIRWAYS
The Qatari airline has temporarily suspended flights to and from Lebanon.
RYANAIR
Europe’s biggest budget airline does not plan on resuming operations to Israel until March 31 at the earliest, while a decision to resume operations to and from Jordan from December is under discussion, a Ryanair spokesperson said on Nov. 27.
SUNDAIR
The German airline canceled flights to Beirut from Berlin until Feb. 28, from Bremen until March 26 and from Muenster/Osnabrueck until March 29.
TAROM
Romania’s flag carrier has suspended Beirut flights until Dec. 20.
UNITED AIRLINES
The Chicago-based airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
The UK carrier has suspended Tel Aviv flights until end-March.
WIZZ AIR
The Hungary-based airline has suspended Tel Aviv flights through Jan. 14.