The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: March 28, 2025
Today: March 28, 2025

Airlines including Lufthansa cautiously plan to resume some Middle East flights

FILE PHOTO: Lufthansa's bet on ITA Airways hinges on Rome airport revamp
January 16, 2025
Joanna Plucinska - Reuters

By Joanna Plucinska

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Germany's Lufthansa Group is set to resume flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel from Feb. 1 and Wizz Air restarted its London to Tel Aviv route on Thursday, the companies said following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Many Western carriers cancelled flights to swaths of the Middle East in recent months, including Beirut and Tel Aviv, as conflict tore across the region. Airlines also avoided Iraqi and Iranian airspace out of fear of getting accidentally caught in drone or missile warfare.

Airlines including Lufthansa cautiously plan to resume some Middle East flights
An Airbus A320-214 passenger aircraft of Lufthansa airline, takes off from Malaga-Costa del Sol airport, in Malaga

Wizz Air also resumed flights to Amman, Jordan starting on Thursday from London Luton airport.

Lufthansa Group carriers Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Austrian Airlines and Swiss were included in Lufthansa's decision to resume flights to Tel Aviv.

Ryanair said it was hoping to run a full summer schedule to and from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv in an interview with Reuters last week, before the ceasefire deal was announced.

In the wake of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Turkish Airlines said it would start flights to Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Jan. 23, with three flights per week.

CAUTIOUS RETURN

But airlines remain cautious and watchful before re-entering the region in full, they said.

British carrier EasyJet told Reuters it welcomed the news of the Gaza ceasefire and would review its plans in the coming days.

Air France-KLM said its operations to and from Tel Aviv remain suspended until Jan. 24, while its flights between Paris and Beirut will be suspended until Jan. 31.

"The operations will resume on the basis of an assessment of the situation on the ground," it said in a statement.

The suspension of Lufthansa flights to and from Tehran up to and including Feb. 14 remains in place and the airline will not fly to Beirut in Lebanon up to and including Feb. 28, it said.

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska, Ilona Wissenbach and Madeline Chambers; Editing by Matthias Williams, Kirsten Donovan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Share This

Popular

Asia|Australia|Business|Economy

Indian state firms seek stake in SQM's lithium projects in Australia, sources say

Indian state firms seek stake in SQM's lithium projects in Australia, sources say
Asia|Business|Economy|Political

India offers US tariff cuts on farm imports, eyes trade success, government sources say

India offers US tariff cuts on farm imports, eyes trade success, government sources say
Business|Economy|Europe|Finance

UK consumers unexpectedly boost their shopping in February

UK consumers unexpectedly boost their shopping in February
Business|Economy|Europe|Finance

Irish consumer sentiment drops to nine-month low on tariff fears

Irish consumer sentiment drops to nine-month low on tariff fears

MidEast

Food|Health|MidEast|Political|World

Aid workers reported killed and missing in Gaza as Israeli blockade nears one month

Aid workers reported killed and missing in Gaza as Israeli blockade nears one month
Crime|Education|MidEast|Political|US

What we know about the Tufts University PhD student detained by federal agents

What we know about the Tufts University PhD student detained by federal agents
MidEast|Political|US|World

Suspected US strikes pummel Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

Suspected US strikes pummel Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen
Crime|Education|MidEast|Political|US|World

Turkish student at Tufts University is latest Palestinian supporter swept up in US crackdown

Turkish student at Tufts University is latest Palestinian supporter swept up in US crackdown

Access this article for free.

Already have an account? Sign In