The Lufthansa Group has suspended flights to Tehran and is reportedly avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace amid rising tensions in the region.
The aviation giant, which also owns Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss, Eurowings and a minority stake in Italy’s ITA Airways, has suspended flights to the Iranian capital until 28 January, according to media reports.
Additionally, Bloomberg reports that from 15 January to 19 January, the group will operate flights to and from Tel Aviv and Amman during the day to prevent crews from staying overnight.
Ongoing regional tensions may result in further flight cancellations. Lufthansa informed Bloomberg of this possibility after US President Donald Trump threatened military action in Iran following a violent response to anti-government protests that began in late December.
Iranian airspace was temporarily closed for approximately five hours on Wednesday (14 January) night and early Thursday (15 January) in response to US threats.
Security and duty of care solutions provider Global Guardian on Wednesday warned American strikes on Iran “are likely in the coming days” and advised delaying all non-essential travel to the region.
Global Guardian also cautioned organisations with assets or personnel in the region to monitor the political situation and access contingency plans as “further flight cancellations and disruptions cannot be ruled out in the near term”.
It also advised foreign nationals in Iran to leave the country by land – via Armenia or Turkey – and warned in-country travellers to avoid all protest sites and limit outdoor activities.
Governments in the US, UK and several European countries have issued warnings to citizens to leave Iran and have advised against all travel.