Lufthansa suspends Tel Aviv, Erbil, Amman routes after Iranian attack

DPA
·2 min read
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Lufthansa passenger planes stand on the tarmac at Frankfurt Airport. Germany's flagship airline Lufthansa is temporarily suspending several flights to cities in the Middle East, it said on 14 April, amid wider disruption unleashed by Iran's attack on Israel. The measure affects regular flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, to Erbil in Iraq and Amman in Jordan, the Lufthansa Group said on its website. Boris Roessler/dpa

Germany's flagship airline Lufthansa is temporarily suspending several flights to cities in the Middle East, it said on Sunday, amid wider disruption unleashed by Iran's attack on Israel.

The measure affects regular flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, to Erbil in Iraq and Amman in Jordan, the Lufthansa Group said on its website.

Flights to the three destinations are set to resume on Tuesday, under current plans. Flights to Beirut in Lebanon and Tehran in Iran are to remain suspended until at least Thursday, the company said.

The move follows a direct aerial attack on Israel carried out by Iran's Revolutionary Guards involving drones and missiles on Saturday, in a widely expected retaliatory strike.

Israel, Jordan and Iraq all closed their airspace but reopened it again on Sunday and flights are now passing through these areas, Lufthansa said. "The Lufthansa Group is continuously monitoring and assessing the security situation in the Middle East and is in close contact with the authorities," the company said. "The safety of passengers and crews is always our top priority."

Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time on Saturday, unleashing some 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike at the start of the month.

In Iran itself, Tehran and the airports in several other cities were due to remain closed until Monday, ISNA news agency reported. Flights in western Iran were suspended until 6 am (0230 GMT) on Monday, affecting airports in Tabris, Kermanshah and Ahwas as well as in Shiraz and Isfahan in central Iran.

Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise" was mounted in revenge for an airstrike on its embassy grounds in Damascus on April 1 in which two generals and others were killed. Israel is believed to have carried out the attack and has not denied responsibility.