Amid strikes and rockets, EU recommends airlines avoid Israeli, Lebanese airspace
Beirut stops Iranian plane from landing after being warned that Israel would use force to stop Tehran from flying in weapons to rearm Hezbollah; Ben Gurion operating normally
Airlines should avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month, the European Union said Saturday, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of “an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation.”
They issued an official recommendation “not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels.”
Provisionally lasting until October 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin “can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn,” the statement added.
“EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat,” the body said.
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air announced Saturday afternoon that it was canceling its flights to Israel for 48 hours, and Wizz Air flights on the way to Israel were forced to return to their origins mid-flight.
Israel has stepped up strikes on Hezbollah in recent days culminating in a massive strike on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in southern Beirut on Friday. The IDF said the strike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top terror commanders. The Iran-backed group responded with barrages of rockets and missiles at Israel.
Despite the warning, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport said it was operating normally.
Lebanon’s transport ministry told an Iranian aircraft not to enter its airspace after Israel warned air traffic control at Beirut airport that it would use “force” if the plane landed, a source at the ministry told Reuters.
Some reports said Israel took control of the communication system in the control tower.
The source said it was not clear what was on the plane. “The priority is people’s lives,” the source added.
Israel has said it will not allow Iran to rearm Hezbollah.
The EU step is likely to exacerbate the flight situation after dozens of airlines canceled or postponed flights to the region in recent weeks.
