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German airline suspends Lebanon flights amid Middle East tensions

Lufthansa has suspended flights to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as the Israel-Gaza conflict continues to escalate.

Published: 14 October 2023 10:19 CEST

German airline Lufthansa has suspended flights to Lebanon.

German airline Lufthansa. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

German airline Lufthansa suspended its flights to and from the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday until October 16 as tensions soar in the region while the Israel-Gaza war rages.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa, who blamed the decision on the “current situation in the Middle East”, confirmed information from two passengers who had been unable to fly from Frankfurt to Beirut.

On Saturday Lufthansa cut its flights to Tel Aviv, citing “the current security situation”.

The route will remain suspended until October 22, according to the spokesman on Friday.

Evacuation flights for German nationals in Israel were organised on Thursday and Friday by the German government.

The German foreign ministry said that around 950 nationals were evacuated on Thursday and more than 850 left Israel on Friday.

These flights were chartered by Lufthansa at the request of the foreign ministry, and flew from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt and Munich.

Other airlines to have cut flights to Tel Aviv amid safety concerns include Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France-KLM and US airline Delta.

Before the flights were halted, British Airways turned around one of its flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv in mid air, citing fears over the security situation in the region.

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Passengers in Germany urged to prepare for crowded airports over holiday weekend

The next major rush after Easter is coming up at German airports.

According to the airport association ADV, more than 2.5 million passengers are set to travel over the Whitsun long weekend.

Whit Monday or Pfingstmontag on May 20th is a public holiday across Germany, meaning most people have the day off work while shops will be closed. As the holiday falls on Monday, Germans often take a trip to make the most of the long weekend – or even take some annual leave around this time to extend their time off.

This year’s outlook on air passengers signals a five percent rise compared to last year. “The traffic development over the long Whitsun weekend shows that the desire for holiday travel is unbroken,” said ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel.

Due to the rush, German airports are advising passengers to allow significantly more time to plan for their travel day.

“For a relaxed start to their holiday, passengers should not only allow more time on the way to the airport on the day of departure, but also plan a time buffer for their stay at the airport,” said a spokesperson from Munich Airport.

Passengers are advised to check in online before departure and to use online check-in for their luggage along the drop-off counter at the airport if possible.

Airports have also urged people flying to cut down on the amount of hand luggage they take so that going through security is faster.

Despite rising numbers, air traffic in Germany is recovering more slowly than in the rest of Europe since the Covid pandemic, according to the ADV.

Following the pandemic, location costs in Germany – in particular aviation security fees and air traffic tax – have doubled.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in May 2024

“This is not without consequences,” said Beisel, of the ADV. “The high demand for flights from private and business travellers is offset by a weak supply from the airlines.”

READ ALSO: ‘Germany lacks a sensible airline policy’: Is budget air travel declining?

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt airport – Germany’s largest airport – in the first quarter of 2024 was also 15 percent below the pre-coronavirus year 2019.

In addition to snow and ice disruption at the start of the year, air travel from Frankfurt was particularly hit by various strikes, including by Lufthansa staff and other airport employees.

However, Fraport said it had increased its revenue in the first quarter of the year by around 16 percent to €890 million.

READ ALSO: Summer airport strikes in Germany averted as Lufthansa cabin crew reach pay deal

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