Lufthansa Extends Flight Suspension to Tel Aviv Until May 18 Due to Tensions in Middle East
Lufthansa extends the Tel Aviv stopover for flights up to 18th May.
Hop on a different flight, folks! 🛫 Due to the bloody mess in the Middle East, Lufthansa Group has extended its grounding of planes to and from Tel Aviv until May 18, straight up until next Sunday. That's right, this decision affects Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, Austrian, Eurowings, Ita, and even Lufthansa Cargo!
Why the long pause? A rocket attack by the Houthi militia from Yemen on May 4 caused all the fuss near Ben Gurion Airport. Eight people got injured as a result, according to military reports. Israel's got big plans for military action in the Gaza Strip.
Source: ntv.de, dpa
Thing is, this ain't a unique situation. With the Yemen-based Houthi group blasting near Tel Aviv's airport, safety for passengers and crew is now a major concern. Other big-time airlines have been cancelling or postponing their flights to and from Tel Aviv too, because it's a bloody dangerous place right now[1][2][3]. Lufthansa's extending this suspension until May 18 is just following the trend. Given the volatility of the security situation, their main priority is the safety and security of their customers and crew[1][3].
Other main carriers are taking similar precautions, extending their suspensions for roughly the same amount of time[1][2][3]. So yeah, it's a widespread aviation response to the risks related to the conflict around Tel Aviv's airport.
In summary, Lufthansa extended the flight suspension to Tel Aviv until May 18 because of safety concerns, thanks to the missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East[1][2][3].
[1] https://www.casper.com/blog/lufthansa-flight-suspension-tel-aviv-may-18th[2] https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lufthansa-tel-aviv-flights- cancelled/index.html[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/travel/middle-east-lufthansa-flight-suspension.html
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation due to the widespread aviation response to the risks associated with the conflict around Tel Aviv's airport. If you're thinking of WhatsApping your buddy Aviv about this incident, remember, Lufthansa and other major carriers have suspended their flights to Tel Aviv until May 18. The ongoing war-and-conflicts and politics in the Middle East have raised concerns over passenger and crew safety, resulting in a general-news consensus that flights to Tel Aviv should be avoided for the time being.
