Lufthansa and KLM extend suspension of Beirut and Tel Aviv flights as conflict escalates in the Middle East

Flights to Beirut will now be suspended up to and including November 30, while those to Tel Aviv will be cancelled until October 31, the group said in a statement. Flights to Tehran remain cancelled until October 14.

“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers,” the group added.

The Lufthansa group — whose carriers also include Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines — has repeatedly modified its flight schedule in recent months due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, as have other airlines.

Following the example of its parent company, Swiss Air said the extension of its flight suspensions was “intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews”.

Later Tuesday, Dutch airline KLM announced it was also extending its suspension of its one daily flight to Tel Aviv until the end of the year.

“Given the situation in the region we’ve decided to extend a suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of the year,” KLM spokeswoman Elvira van der Vis told AFP.

KLM had announced in August that it was suspending flights to Israel until October 26.

The Israeli army said it launched a ground offensive in Lebanon and that its forces engaged in clashes Tuesday, further escalating the conflict after a week of intense air strikes that killed hundreds.