Lebanon: Flight disruptions likely at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport through at least early August due to increasing regional tensions /update 1

Flight disruptions will likely continue at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) through at least early August amid increasing regional tensions. Several airlines had suspended their flights into Beirut due to elevated potential for violence and insurance risks after a July 27 rocket attack originating from Lebanon killed at least 12 civilians in the Golan Heights.

While Middle East Airlines (ME), Royal Jordan Airline (JK), Turkish Airlines (TK), and Ethiopian Air (ET) initially canceled flights on July 29, they subsequently resumed service to Beirut. Lufthansa (LH) has suspended all its flights to BEY until August 5, with Air France (AF), Aegean Airlines (A3), and Transavia (HV) suspending their services to the Lebanese capital until at least Aug. 4. Similarly, Emirates Airlines (EK) has issued a travel advisory stating that no passengers transiting Dubai to Beirut will be accepted Aug. 1-2 due to the security situation in Lebanon. Passengers starting their journeys in Dubai or Beirut will, however, be allowed and the flight connections between the two countries will be maintained. Additional airlines could announce similar measures.

Lingering disruptions are likely after normal services resume as airlines work to clear passenger backlogs.