European airlines cancel flights due to tensions in the Middle East

Several European airlines are suspending or cancelling flights to destinations in the Middle East after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. Carriers cited security concerns and said they were continuing to monitor the situation.

Germany’s Lufthansa said it was suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman until 7 March. A company spokesperson added that services to and from Dubai were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday.

Dutch airline KLM suspended flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv and cancelled Saturday’s service. It had originally planned to halt operations from Sunday, 1 March, but brought the decision forward. Only one flight to Tel Aviv had been scheduled for Saturday. The carrier is also considering whether to cancel other services to and from the region.

Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut scheduled for 28 February. The company said in a statement that the decision had been taken for security reasons related to the situation in the Middle East. It plans to provide further information on its schedule for those destinations at a later date.

British airline Virgin Atlantic has decided temporarily to avoid Iraqi airspace, requiring flights to be rerouted. As a precaution, it also cancelled Saturday’s VS400 service from London Heathrow to Dubai. ‘The safety and security of our customers and employees is always our top priority. We continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East through ongoing assessments and are adjusting flight routes as necessary,’ a company spokesperson said.

Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air is suspending all flights to and from Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman with immediate effect until 7 March. The airline said it was closely monitoring the situation and remained in contact with local and international authorities, including aviation safety bodies. The schedule may be adjusted further depending on developments.

Spanish airline Iberia Express also joined the restrictions, cancelling its Saturday flight to Tel Aviv scheduled for 5pm local time. A company spokesperson told Reuters that the move was linked to the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Iberia Express is a low-cost subsidiary of the Iberia Group.

A spokesperson for the group also confirmed that airspace over Doha had been closed, forcing one Madrid-bound flight to turn back. For now, the cancellations apply only to Saturday, with the company promising further updates as the situation evolves.

(reuters)