Greek Aegean Airlines halts services to key Middle Eastern cities

Greek Aegean Airlines has announced the extension of its flight cancellations to Beirut, Amman, and Tel Aviv until August 13, 2024, amid escalating Middle Eastern tensions.

"In response to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, all regular flights to and from Beirut (Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport), Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport), and Amman (Queen Alia International Airport) are cancelled until August 13, 2024," the airline stated, Caliber.Az reports citing the Russian media.

"Passengers affected by these cancellations, as well as those traveling to or from Beirut, Amman, or Tel Aviv before August 31, 2024, can contact us to reschedule their flights free of charge for any date up to December 31, 2024," the message said.

Earlier, the Greek news website newsbomb.gr reported that Aegean Airlines has indefinitely suspended all flights to and from Israel.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated after armed supporters of the Palestinian radical group Hamas infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. This incursion was marked by the killing of residents in border communities and the capture of over 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave aimed at dismantling Hamas' military and political structures and securing the release of all abducted individuals. The fighting in the Gaza Strip continues.