ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - German aviation giant Lufthansa has extended its suspension of flights to several cities in the Middle East, including Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil, until Tuesday, August 13, as regional tensions are mounting.
“All flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Teheran and Tel Aviv are suspended up to and including August 13,” the Lufthansa Group said on its website on Wednesday.
On Monday, Lufthansa initially had suspended flights until Wednesday.
“Based on its current security analysis, Lufthansa Group is again adjusting its services to the Middle East,” Lufthansa added.
Passengers affected will be offered the option of either rebooking or canceling their flight for free, according to the airline.
Many other airlines also have suspended flights to cities in the Levant and Iran amid soaring regional tensions, exacerbated by the killing of Hamas politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran last week. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and vowed to retaliate, but Israel has not claimed responsibility.
Haniyeh’s assassination came a day after the Israeli army announced that it killed Fuad Shukr (also known as Sayyid Mushan), the right hand man of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the group’s senior military commander in an airstrike targeting the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
