Airlines cancel flights to Lebanon as West Asia tensions escalate

Several airlines have suspended services to Lebanon’s main international airport as tensions escalate between Israel and the Hezbollah militia group.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, along with its units Swiss International and Eurowings, said it will halt flights to and from Beirut until August 6, while Greece’s Aegean Airlines has cancelled some flights and is assessing the situation on a daily basis. Qatar Airways will adjust its schedule to ensure all flights to Beirut operate during daytime, according to a spokesperson. 
 

Lebanese flag carrier Middle East Airlines rescheduled some flights on Sunday and Monday as it looked to distribute insurance risks for aircraft inside and outside the country, the company said in a statement posted on X. Air France halted flights to Beirut on July 29 and 30, and said it was monitoring the situation in real-time. 
 

Beirut airport’s flight information board and flight tracking website Flightradar24 show Turkish Airlines also cancelled two flights overnight on Sunday.
 

The rocket strike in the Golan Heights on Saturday has added to concerns that Israel and the Iran-backed group could engage in a full-scale war.
 

Israel’s security cabinet on Sunday authorised the government to respond to the strike. Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas’ October 7 assault sparked the war in Gaza, which has since spread to several fronts. In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed heavy retaliation against Hezbollah amid furious diplomatic efforts to prevent a spiral into regional war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday, emphasising the “importance of preventing escalation” and discussing efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to months of conflict.