Europe-Asia airlines adjust flights amid Mideast tensions

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2017
The situation remains fluid, with airlines closely monitoring developments and adjusting their operations accordingly.

Recent missile and drone attacks by Iran on Israel have impacted airline operations between Europe and Asia. Despite the reopening of airspace in Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon on Sunday (Apr 14), flight disruptions continue to affect several carriers.

Germany’s Lufthansa has halted flights to and from Tel Aviv, Erbil, and Amman until Monday, with operations to Beirut and Tehran paused until Thursday. KLM has also canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday, while Britain’s easyJet has paused operations to Tel Aviv indefinitely. Wizz Air similarly canceled most of its Tel Aviv flights from Saturday through Monday.



Finnair has opted to avoid Iranian airspace, which will slightly delay flights from Doha as they reroute over Egypt. SAS had to reroute a flight between Copenhagen and Bangkok due to the closures. United Airlines, Air Canada, and Australia’s Qantas Airways have also announced cancellations and reroutes affecting flights to Tel Aviv and other regional destinations.

On the other hand, some airlines are beginning to resume operations. Etihad Airways canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Amman, Jordan, but said regular passenger and cargo services would resume starting April 15. Emirates Airlines has already resumed flights to and from Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq as of Sunday afternoon.



The situation remains fluid, with airlines closely monitoring developments and adjusting their operations accordingly. These adjustments include potential delays and ongoing cancellations as the region stabilizes from the recent geopolitical tensions. (NNT)