Germany’s flagship airline on Thursday prolonged its suspension of flights to Tehran as a consequence of escalating safety issues within the Center East brought on by an anticipated assault by Iran in response to a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Lufthansa had stated on Wednesday that “because of the present scenario within the Center East” it had suspended flights to and from the Iranian capital, most likely till Thursday. Nevertheless, the suspension was prolonged on Thursday, no less than till Saturday.
A spokesman stated the airline had determined final weekend to not function a flight from Frankfurt to Tehran to keep away from a crew having to spend the night time within the Iranian capital.
Al-Monitor has contacted Lufthansa for remark.
On April 1, the Iranian consulate in Damascus was hit by a suspected Israeli airstrike that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated left seven individuals useless. of his navy advisers have been killed, together with Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Quds Pressure, the elite overseas paramilitary and espionage arm of the IRGC.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Wednesday that Israel “should and shall be punished” for the assault. Officers within the area and the USA have been on excessive alert for the reason that assault on the consulate, awaiting Tehran’s response. In flip, the Israeli authorities has promised to reply if Iran assaults Israeli territory from Iranian territory. Tehran additionally has the chance to retaliate by way of its proxies elsewhere within the area.
Iran’s state-backed Mehr information company printed an Arabic report on the Shortly after the report was posted, the company eliminated it and denied releasing the knowledge.
Austrian flies through Tehran route
Austrian Airways, a part of the Lufthansa Group, stated on Thursday it might proceed with its scheduled flight from Vienna to Tehran.
A spokesperson for Austrian Airways instructed Al-Monitor: “Lufthansa and Austrian Airways have reached the identical security evaluation of the scenario on the bottom. The Austrian Airways flight scheduled for in the present day will proceed.”
Explaining Austrian’s place in mild of Lufthansa’s suspension of flights, the spokesperson stated that the in a single day stopover in Tehran for the airline’s crew can be suspended till Saturday, April 13, as a “precautionary measure.”
“The Vienna-Tehran-Vienna route shall be operated and not using a cease till then,” the spokesperson stated. “As a result of shorter flight time that Austrian has in comparison with different airways from Vienna to Tehran, it’s doable to fly Vienna-Tehran-Vienna and not using a night time cease throughout the legally permitted working hours of the crew.”
The Austrian consultant added that the Tehran flight from Vienna on Thursday shall be delayed by a number of hours to attenuate the time between touchdown in and leaving Tehran.
“The protection of our passengers and crew is our high precedence,” the spokesperson stated. “The protection scenario on the bottom is monitored 24 hours a day and the flight program is adjusted if crucial.”
Different airways – together with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airways – have flight routes through Tehran. Al-Monitor has contacted them for an replace.
Russians urge ‘restraint’
Russia on Thursday known as on Center Japanese states to train restraint within the present scenario and warned in opposition to journey to the area.
“At this second it is vitally necessary for everybody to train restraint, in order to not lead to an entire destabilization of the scenario within the area, which doesn’t precisely excel in stability and predictability,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated at a information convention.
“We name on all international locations within the area to train restraint.”
