Lufthansa stops using Iran airspace and keeps halt on Tehran flights

Planes of German airline Lufthansa are grounded during a strike action by ground crews, services staff and security personnel, at Munich International Airport in Munich, southern Germany, on February 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 13 April 2024
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Lufthansa stops using Iran airspace and keeps halt on Tehran flights

  • “The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority,” a spokesperson said
  • Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory

FRANKFURT, Germany: German airline Lufthansa said Friday its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace as it extended a suspension on flights to and from Tehran amid soaring Middle East tensions.
“Due to the current situation, Lufthansa is suspending its flights to and from Tehran up to and including Thursday, 18 April,” a company spokesperson said Friday.
“The airline is also no longer using Iranian airspace.”
Its subsidiary Austrian Airlines followed suit.
The flights to the Iranian capital have been suspended since April 6.
Lufthansa did not outline the immediate reasons for the suspension.
In a statement, Austrian Airlines cited “the current situation in the Middle East.”
“For Austrian Airlines, the safety of its passengers and crews has top priority. The situation in the Middle East is being evaluated on an ongoing basis. To this end, Austrian is in close contact with the authorities.”
The move comes after Iran blamed arch-foe Israel for a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and threatened reprisals.
Israel has stepped up strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria since the war in the Gaza Strip began in October.
 

 


Safety of Jordanians a priority during regional conflict, says country’s crown prince

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Safety of Jordanians a priority during regional conflict, says country’s crown prince

  • He visits Civil Defense Department and is briefed on the work it is doing to manage emergencies and protect lives and property amid attacks by Iran

LONDON: The safety of citizens is a priority for authorities in Jordan amid regional tensions, the country’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah Al-Hashimi said on Wednesday as he visited the Civil Defense Department for a briefing and iftar event.

He stressed the importance of keeping pace with the latest developments in civil protection systems and taking every opportunity to enhance the skills of Civil Defense personnel, the royal court said.

The department, which operates under the Ministry of Interior, has been working to manage emergencies and protect lives and property amid a barrage of missiles and drones launched by Tehran in recent days in response to attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. The strikes have targeted civilian and military areas in Jordan and other countries in the region.

During his visit the crown prince was greeted by Maj. Gen. Obeidallah Maaytah, director of the Public Security Directorate, and Brig. Gen. Nasser Sweilmeen, the Civil Defense director, and briefed on the work of the Civil Defense Department, the systems it uses, and the ways in which it is responding to the regional conflict.

In addition to firing missiles into Israel, Iran has targeted US forces at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and other American military sites in Gulf countries. Military personnel and civilians in several countries have been killed or injured by missiles or falling debris.