Iranian flights to Beirut: Lebanon dodges Israel's warning!

Iranian flights to Beirut: Lebanon dodges Israel's warning!

In a dramatic twist, Lebanon this week blocked two Iranian flights from landing in Beirut. This decision came after a serious warning from the US that Israel could attack the airport if an Iranian plane landed there. According to the AFP news agency, permission to land was refused in consultation with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun before the planes took off. As a consequence of this refusal to land, there were protests by Hezbollah supporters who blocked access to the airport. Hezbollah is accused by Israel of using military supply routes through the airport, a claim but denied by the Lebanese government and the militia itself, according to the Crown newspaper reported.

Global aviation has also been heavily affected by recent military tensions. After a massive Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel at the weekend, numerous airlines, including Lufthansa and other European airlines, had to cancel their flights or choose significantly longer routes. As the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan reopened on Sunday, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned of the risk of miscalculation in air traffic, particularly over Tehran. These security warnings are a direct result of the tense conflict, which has recently escalated with attacks on Israel Airliners.de reported.

Consequences for air traffic

As a result of these conflicts, airlines are required to adapt their security protocols. Lufthansa suspended all flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut and Erbil until Monday and also suspended flights to Tehran until Thursday. The airspace over these regions remains critical for civil aircraft, while airlines around the world warn of disruptions and continually monitor their routes. At the same time, regional aviation authorities are trying to stabilize the security situation and restore operations, with Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon having already reopened their airspace. However, the situation remains tense and Easa is closely monitoring developments to assess potential risks to aviation.