Airlines cancel flights to Israel over fears of escalation after assassinations in Beirut and Tehran

Israeli airlines maintain normal flight schedules, remain in ‘contact with security officials’

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Several major airlines have announced that they will temporarily suspend flights to Israel beginning on Thursday, according to Hebrew news media reports.

United Airlines, Delta, and British Airways will reportedly suspend flights to and from Israel on Thursday over fears of possible Iranian and Hezbollah retaliations for the assassinations of Hezbollah second-in-command Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

On Wednesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a direct strike on Israel in response to Haniyeh’s death, despite the fact that Israel has not taken responsibility for the strike that killed him.

United Airlines began notifying customers of the cancellations of flights, which is reported to last until Aug. 7. Delta Airlines canceled flights on Wednesday evening, with the suspension expected to last at least 48 hours.

Both airline companies canceled flights to and from Israel on last Oct. 7, along with most foreign airlines. United resumed flights to Israel in March, before suspending them again in April following the Iranian strike on Israel. It resumed flights to Israel in the beginning of June. Delta Airlines only resumed flying to Israel in June.

On Wednesday, Israel briefly closed airspace in the northern part of the country, due to fears of a military response from Hezbollah or Iran, however, the closure had little effect on Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel's main travel hub, near Tel Aviv.

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"On Thursday morning, a Lufthansa flight to Tel Aviv made a surprise landing in Larnaca, Cyprus, instead of continuing to Israel."

Initially, the flight crew of the German airline announced that the plane was landing in Larnaca for “technical reasons,” however, after an hour, the airline said the flight would be returning to Munich, Germany due to a decision by the company’s security department.

A group of 20 Israeli passengers were allowed to disembark in Cyprus without their luggage, while the remaining passengers chose to return to Munich.

Lufthansa later issued a statement about the unusual decision, stating it was made for the safety of passengers and crew.

“Lufthansa flight LH682 from Munich to Tel Aviv, which for operational reasons is currently operated via Larnaca, will return to Munich after landing in Larnaca this morning at 02:43 (CEST), as a precautionary measure due to security activity,” the statement read.

After announcing the cancellation, Lufthansa told the passengers they would be offered alternative flights.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience,” the company stated. “The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority.”

On Thursday afternoon, Lufthansa announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Israel until further notice.

Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Austria Airlines also announced they would suspend flights to and from Israel.

Israeli airlines like El Al have not canceled any flights. According to their website, "El Al flights are operating as scheduled. We are in contact with security officials."