Iran's airstrikes on Israel that began last night led to the cancellation of several flights at Austrian Lufthansa subsidiary AUA. The night flight from Vienna to Tel Aviv, OS 859, was supposed to depart at 11:10 p.m., but was delayed to 6:40 a.m. However, this will probably not be carried out due to the closure of Israeli airspace, meaning passengers on the return flight (Tel Aviv-Vienna, OS 860) are currently stranded in Israel.
AUA spokeswoman Sophie Matkovits confirmed to aviation magazine “Austrian Wings” that AUA will close Amman (Jordan) and Erbil (Iraqi Kurdish province) until at least April 15. “The safety of our guests and crew is always our priority,” Matkowitz emphasized. As a result, flights to Tehran were stopped yesterday.
Lufthansa flights are also being diverted
Lufthansa Group is suspending all flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil and Tel Aviv until tomorrow, according to Reuters. Additionally, the company announced upon further request that all Lufthansa Group aircraft will fly around the airspace over Israel, Jordan and Iraq until further notice. Flights already in the air last night were diverted to new routes.
According to reports, Lufthansa had already decided to fly around Iranian airspace until Thursday, temporarily suspending flights to Tehran. Night flights to Tel Aviv were also suspended for the coming nights as a precaution.
Emirates Airlines also cancels some flights from Dubai. Others will be turned away, a company spokesperson announced. The situation is being monitored very closely and every effort is being made to keep the impact on customers as low as possible.
