Beirut airport sees flight cancellations amid Israel-Hezbollah tensions; airlines suspend services

Passengers wait for their flights at the Beirut International Airport in Beirut on August 25, amid escalations in the ongoing cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.

Beirut airport remained operational on August 25, but many passengers found themselves stranded as flights were either canceled or delayed, reported AFP. This disruption followed significant cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, marking an escalation in hostilities. Passengers at the airport were seen sitting on the floor in the largely empty arrivals hall, as flight information screens displayed cancellations and delays.

Air France, meanwhile, announced the suspension of its Beirut flights scheduled for August 25 and 26, with the possibility of extending the suspension depending on the situation in the Middle East. Royal Jordanian Airlines also suspended its Beirut flights due to the "current situation," and Etihad Airways from the UAE canceled its services to and from the Lebanese capital.

On August 23, German airline Lufthansa extended its suspension of flights to Beirut until September 30. Despite these disruptions, Lebanon's civil aviation authority assured that the airport was "functioning normally," dismissing rumours that all flights had been canceled. The authority's statement, carried by the official National News Agency, noted that only some flights were affected. In recent weeks, several airlines had already suspended or canceled flights to Beirut, though some later resumed services.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces almost daily in support of Hamas since the latter's October 7 attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing Gaza war. On Sunday, Israel launched air strikes into Lebanon, claiming to have thwarted a large-scale Hezbollah attack. In response, Hezbollah announced its own strikes across the border to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli strike last month.

The escalation has heightened fears that the situation could spiral into a full-scale conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, who last engaged in a devastating war in the summer of 2006, during which Israel bombed Beirut airport—Lebanon's only international passenger facility.