Polish foreign ministry warns against travel to Lebanon, Israel, Iran

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) has warned tourists via social media about traveling to Lebanon, Israel, and Iran. Radio Poland has confirmed which flights have been canceled by LOT Polish Airlines.

Current air traffic over Israel as of August 2, 3:30 PM Polish time. Due to the situation in the Middle East, some airlines, including LOT Polish Airlines, have canceled flights to Lebanon, Israel, and Iran.

Flightradar24/Screenshot/ https://www.flightradar24.com/32.69,36.35/8

The statement highlighted that the unstable security situation indicates that leaving these areas will become increasingly difficult. It also reminded that the ministry has long advised against any travel to these regions.

W związku z odnotowaniem wzrastającej liczby ?￰ﾟﾇﾱ turystów przyjeżdżających do Libanu/Izraela/Iranu przypominamy, że MSZ od dawna odradza wszelkich podróży w ten region.

Niestabilna sytuacja zw. z bezpieczeństwem wskazuje, że opuszczenie tych miejsc będzie coraz trudniejsze.

— Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP ?￰ﾟﾇﾱ (@MSZ_RP) August 2, 2024

The Press Office of LOT Polish Airlines confirmed to Radio Poland that, after conducting a safety analysis of flight operations, LOT Polish Airlines has decided to cancel the following flights:

Warsaw - Beirut:

LO143 WAW - BEY on August 2

LO144 BEY - WAW on August 3

LO145 WAW - BEY on August 3

LO146 BEY - WAW on August 4

Warsaw - Tel Aviv:

LO151 WAW - TLV on August 2

LO152 TLV - WAW on August 3

LO151 WAW - TLV on August 3

LO152 TLV - WAW on August 4

Airlines including Lufthansa and ITA Airways are suspending flights, with Air India, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines also making similar moves.

?INFORMAZIONI TEL AVIV?
In virtù delle evoluzioni geopolitiche in Medio Oriente e al fine di preservare la sicurezza dei propri passeggeri ed equipaggi, ITA Airways ha deciso di sospendere i voli da e per Tel Aviv a partire da oggi, 1° agosto, fino al 6 agosto compreso.
La… pic.twitter.com/LTZhMv2nMF

— ITA Airways (@ITAAirways) August 1, 2024

Furthermore, some carriers are avoiding airspace over countries like Iran and Lebanon due to potential threats from drones or missiles. There is also concern that military forces might disrupt GPS signals used by pilots, according to IAR, citing AFP reports.

ANNOUNCEMENT

In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have suspended scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including 08 August 2024. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support…

— Air India (@airindia) August 2, 2024

Source: Radio Poland/LOT Polish Airlines/MSZ/IAR/AFP/x.com/@ITAAirways/@airindia

(mp)