German airline group Lufthansa said Monday it was extending the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Erbil through to August 21 because of continued tensions in the region. It said it would also avoid using Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 21, an extension from a previous date of August 13.
Affected passengers can rebook or cancel their journeys free of charge, Lufthansa said, adding that it regretted the inconvenience caused “due to the current situation”. Also on Monday, Air France and its subsidiary Transavia France again extended the suspension of their flights to Beirut, through Wednesday August 14.
Air India, IndiGo, and Vistara cancelled flights to Dhaka following Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation amid widespread protests. Both airlines are providing support to passengers with confirmed bookings, including a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. India advised its nationals to avoid traveling to Bangladesh for the time being.
The flights have been suspended since July 29 and their resumption “will be subject to a new assessment of the situation on the ground”, Air France said in a statement. The French carrier continues to serve Tel Aviv’s airport. Other airlines have also modified their flight schedules in the region recently.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 on Israel. Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israeli forces across the border between Lebanon and Israel.
