British Airways and Wizz Air have halted flights between Heathrow and Tel Aviv in both directions because of escalating hostilities in the Middle East.
British Airways said it has cancelled the flights until at least Wednesday, while Wizz Air announced it was "temporarily suspending" flights to and from Israel.
In addition, Air France said it was halting flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut that had been scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Air France's subsidiary, Transavia, made a similar announcement.
Several carriers ceased flights to Israel and Lebanon last year, but some had resumed services in recent months.
"We've been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to suspend our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Wednesday 28 August," a spokesperson for British Airways said.
"Safety is always our top priority, and we're contacting customers to advise them of their travel options."
Escalating conflict
Wizz Air gave no indication of when it will start flying to Israel - a company representative said affected customers would be allowed to rebook free of charge or receive full refunds.
Those who booked through online travel agencies or other third parties should contact them, the airline added.
The cancellations come after the Israeli military said it had launched "pre-emptive" strikes against the militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
Virgin Atlantic, which was hoping to resume its services between Heathrow and Tel Aviv on September 5, said it will extend its flight suspension following a "security and safety assessment".
The airline now plans to restart flights from September 25.
"Our teams will be in contact with anyone affected to discuss options, which include rebooking to a later date or a full refund and, in the meantime, customers can benefit from our partnership with El Al which operates multiple daily flights between Heathrow and Ben Gurion Airport," a Virgin spokesperson said.
"We remain committed to our services to Israel and look forward to resuming flights to Tel Aviv as soon as the situation permits."
Likewise, German airline Lufthansa said on Friday that it was extending the suspension of its flights to and from Beirut to the end of September, adding that it would not fly to Tel Aviv and Tehran until September 2.
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The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
