Qatar Airways on Wednesday introduced the suspension of its flights to and from Lebanon and Iran till additional discover, becoming a member of an extended record of airways which have halted service to the 2 international locations.
The Qatari airline cited the “present scenario within the Center East area” as the rationale for his or her cancellation, referring to the continuing wars in Gaza and Lebanon and the upcoming Israeli strike on Iran.
Qatar Airways additionally introduced it could function flights to Amman, Jordan and Iraq solely “throughout daylight.”
When Iran struck Israel with a barrage of at the very least 180 ballistic missiles on Oct. 1, missiles flew over up Jordanian and Iraqi airspace earlier than reaching Israel — possible the rationale behind Qatar Airways’ daytime-only flights.
The promised Israeli strike on Iran, a continued Israeli army marketing campaign in opposition to Hamas in Gaza and Israel’s floor invasion and bombing of Lebanon with the purpose of eliminating Hezbollah have resulted in widespread cancellation of flights to the area.
British Airways, American Airways and Delta Airways have introduced suspensions of their Israel flights till the tip of March 2025. United Airways has canceled flights to Israel till additional discover.
The Netherlands’ KLM has suspended flights till the tip of 2024. Germany’s Lufthansa Group — which incorporates Swiss, Lufthansa, Austrian Airways, Brussels Airways and Eurowings — has cancelled flights till the tip of October, together with Air France.
El Al, an Israeli airline, is the one airline working direct flights between the USA and Israel; two UAE carriers, FlyDubai and Etihad Airways, have resumed flights as nicely.
Practically all airways have suspended industrial flights out and in of Lebanon amid Israel’s floor invasion and bombing marketing campaign within the nation’s south and its capital.
Lebanon’s nationwide service, Center East Airways, stays the one airline providing flights out and in of Beirut’s Rafic Hariri airport, positioned within the southern suburbs of the capital, the place Israeli strikes have been concentrated.
As Iran awaits Israel’s promised retaliation for the Oct. 1 Iranian missile assault, airways have prevented Iranian airspace.
The UAE’s Emirates airline, which has already cancelled flights to Beirut by October, did the identical with its flights to Tehran, alongside Turkish Airways, Pegasus, and Lufthansa.
Ticket costs to and from Iran have skyrocketed, each due to the upcoming Israeli strike and due to new EU sanctions on Iranian airways, together with Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saha Airways. The sanctions resulted in Iran Air, the one remaining Iranian airline flying between EU international locations and Iran, suspending its providers to Europe on Oct. 14.
As Iran braces for the strike, Israel has continued its army marketing campaign in Lebanon and in Gaza. Since Oct. 8, 2023, the continuing battle between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 2,574 individuals in Lebanon and injured over 12,000 others.
Gaza’s Well being Ministry on Wednesday introduced that the dying toll since Oct. 7 has surpassed 42,000 individuals, with over 100,000 others injured.
