European Airlines extend flight suspensions as Middle East conflict intensifies
Frankfurt: Top European airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM, and Swiss International Air Lines, announced on Tuesday the extension of flight suspensions to the Middle East due to intensifying regional tensions. These decisions follow Israel’s strikes on Beirut and warnings from a senior White House official that Iran is preparing a missile attack against Israel. The group, which includes Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Swiss International, has been modifying its flight operations over the past months to address the unpredictable security situation.
Dutch airline KLM has extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of 2024. This follows its earlier announcement in August 2024 that flights would be halted until October 26 due to the volatile situation. KLM spokesperson Elvira van der Vis confirmed the extension, citing ongoing concerns in the region.
German carrier Lufthansa also announced the suspension of its flights to Beirut through November 30, 2024. Additionally, the airline group confirmed that flights to Tel Aviv are canceled until October 31, while flights to Tehran will remain suspended until October 14. In a further move, the airline group said it would avoid Iranian, Iraqi, and Jordanian airspace until October 2 and continue to avoid Israeli airspace until the end of October.
A Lufthansa spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers, while stressing that the safety of both passengers and crew remains the airline's top priority.
Swiss International Air Lines, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa group, echoed the decision, saying the extended suspensions aim to provide predictability for travelers and crew amid the uncertainties of the escalating conflict.
The flight suspensions follow recent military escalations in the Middle East, including Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon and a week of intense air strikes that have claimed hundreds of lives. The conflict deepened on Tuesday, as Israeli forces engaged in clashes on the ground in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a senior White House official, speaking anonymously, warned that Iran was preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel "imminently." The U.S. is actively supporting Israel's defensive measures in response to the potential threat and has cautioned Iran that such an attack would lead to "severe consequences."
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
