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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'MCC-Modi's Code of Campaigning': Cong's dig at EC
New Delhi (PTI): Ahead of the assembly polls schedule announcement by the Election Commission, the Congress on Sunday took a swipe, saying since 2014 the MCC has come to stand for "Modi's Code of Campaigning which will be full of defamation, abuses, intimidation, fear-mongering, and spreading the virus of lies."
The opposition party also claimed that the poll schedule announcement "would have been given the go-ahead by the G2, since G1 would have completed this round of inaugurations, ribbon-cuttings, flag-offs, and launches".
The Congress frequently uses the term 'G2' to take swipes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who are both from Gujarat.
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In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the 2026 assembly elections at 4 PM today. It would have been given the go-ahead by the G2, since G1 would have completed this round of inaugurations, ribbon-cuttings, flag-offs, and launches."
"The Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will soon come into effect. But since 2014 this has come to stand for Modi's Code of Campaigning which will be full of defamation, abuses, intimidation, fear-mongering, and spreading the virus of lies," Ramesh said.
The MCC is a set of conventions agreed upon by all stakeholders during the elections. Its objective is to keep campaigning, polling and counting orderly, clean and peaceful and check any abuse of state machinery and finances by the party in power.
The Election Commission will announce dates for assembly polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry on Sunday evening.
The terms of these legislative assemblies are ending on different dates in May and June.
Final electoral rolls of the four states and the Union territory of Puducherry have been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list.
