Qatar Airways and flydubai suspended flights to Beirut for two days on Tuesday as tensions escalated between Israel and Hezbollah after the deadliest bombardment of Lebanon since 2006.
Qatar Airways, the national flag-carrier which operates two flights a day to the Lebanese capital, cancelled services on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Due to the ongoing situation in Lebanon, Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport until September 25,” the Qatari national carrier said in a statement.
“The safety of our passengers remains our highest priority.”
flydubai, the state-owned, low-cost sister airline to Dubai-based giant Emirates, also cancelled its daily flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“flydubai flights between Dubai International and Beirut International Airport on 24 and 25 September have been cancelled due to the ongoing developments,” a flydubai spokesperson said.
Israeli announced dozens of new air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds on Tuesday after at least 492 people were killed in bombardments the previous day, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah began last October after Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
A source at Lebanese flag carrier Middle East Airlines told AFP its flights were booked out for days.
“Our flights are all overbooked because of the cancellations of other airlines,” the source, who is not authorised to speak to media, said on condition of anonymity.
“There is not a single seat available for any destination before Sunday.”
Germany’s Lufthansa, Air France and Delta Air Lines of the United States have also suspended flights to Beirut in recent days, with some carriers’ services to Israel and Iran also affected.
Last week, Qatar Airways announced a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies on its Beirut flights after communications device explosions, blamed on Israel, killed 37 people and wounded thousands over two days.