Airlines Extend Flight Suspensions amid Middle East Conflict

Airlines around the world have extended flight suspensions and cancellations as the conflict in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, continues to disrupt air travel. While many major carriers have prolonged the suspension of services to high-risk destinations, only a handful plan to resume flights in the coming weeks.

Greece's Aegean Airlines and Latvia's airBaltic have suspended flights to Dubai and Iraq through the end of the summer and the end of October, respectively. Air Canada and Singapore Airlines will not resume flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until Oct. 24. Singapore Airlines has temporarily redeployed aircraft to routes serving London and Melbourne. US carrier Delta Air Lines has suspended flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv until mid-December.

In Europe, the Lufthansa Group – including SWISS and Austrian Airlines – has extended the suspension of flights to Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Riyadh through Oct. 24. Italy's ITA Airways and Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air have taken similar measures, with Wizz Air suspending flights from mainland Europe to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan through mid-September. British Airways has suspended flights to several destinations until the end of October and permanently discontinued its route to Jeddah.

In Asia, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines have postponed the resumption of flights to Dubai and Doha until the end of August and October, respectively. One of the few exceptions is SunExpress, which resumed flights between Antalya and Dubai on July 15.

(Reuters, Max)