Airlines suspend Middle East service as tensions rise in the region

More and more airlines are suspending flights to parts of the Middle East as recent attacks in Lebanon and Iran stoke fears of a wider regional war. And once again, the delicate balance of the travel industry is being upset by global events on the other side of the world.

Several American and European airlines have canceled flights to Tel Aviv for the coming days, including:

• United Airlines
• delta
• Lufthansa
• British Airways
• Australian airline

It is unclear whether the suspension of flight operations will be extended beyond the end of the week. In the case of Air Canada, safety concerns have led the airline to suspend flight operations to Israel for another few months.

At 11JUL They released a statement saying: “Due to ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, Air Canada is continuing to suspend operations to and from Tel Aviv until mid-October. The next flight from Toronto is now scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, and the flight from Montréal is now scheduled for summer 2025. We remain in contact with the Canadian government. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will adjust our plans accordingly.”

Several European airlines flights to Beirut have also been cancelled until at least 05.August after Israel threatened retaliation for a rocket attack from Lebanon. The airlines affected include:

• Lufthansa
• Swiss
• Eurowings
• Air France
• KLM

Jordan’s national airline, Royal Jordanian, suspended flights to Beirut on Monday and Tuesday but resumed operations on Thursday. Flydubai said it would operate only two flights a day to Beirut until Friday, instead of the planned three.

Tensions in the region are having a wide-ranging impact on global travel. Emirates said passengers transiting through Dubai on their way to Beirut will not be allowed to travel on Thursday and Friday. The airline added that travelers who began their journey in Dubai or Beirut will still be allowed to travel.

According to a report in Travel and Tour World magazine, the flight changes underscore the travel industry’s need to adapt quickly to geopolitical developments.

“These changes not only affect airlines, but also have far-reaching implications for the tourism industry in Lebanon and the Middle East. Reduced flight availability may lead to a decline in tourism and impact local economies that rely on travel and hospitality,” they noted.

A G Adventures spokesperson declined to say whether trips to that part of the world would be cancelled, but added: “Interest in the region has naturally declined since the conflict began, but we are not seeing any further slowdown since recent reports of increasing tension.”

An ABC report quoted an anonymous Western diplomat whose country is involved in efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region as saying that any retaliatory strikes by Israel would be within a framework that would not lead to a full-scale war.

“It is clear that they (Israel) want to take a stand, but without provoking a general conflict,” he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. “It is certain that there will be retaliation. It will be symbolic in nature. It may be spectacular, but it will not be a reason for either side to engage in a general escalation.”