German airline giant Lufthansa said on Wednesday it would not overfly Iran and Iraq “until further notice”, after Tehran launched missiles at US bases in Iraq.
“We are no longer overflying Iran and Iraq until further notice,” a Lufthansa spokesperson told AFP, adding that Wednesday’s daily Frankfurt-Tehran flight was cancelled, while Saturday’s twice-weekly service to northern Iraqi city Erbil would also not depart.
Air France also said it has suspended until further notice flying through Iranian and Iraqi airspace after Iran fired ballistic missiles against bases housing US troops in Iraq.
“As a precautionary measure and following news of air strikes underway, Air France has decided to suspend until further notice all flights through Iranian and Iraqi airspace,” an Air France spokesperson told AFP.
In related news, British tourists in Egypt were on Sunday warned to be vigilant over the risk of terror attacks, the Daily Mail reported.
Echoing warnings for Turkey and Dubai, the British Foreign Office advised travellers to the country to be on guard.
There are fears that holidaymakers at resorts popular with Westerners could become an easy ‘soft’ target for terror groups sympathetic to Iran.
The Foreign Office changed its advice for 14 countries in the region, telling travellers to "remain vigilant" and keep up to date on the latest developments. But it stopped short of telling people not to travel, meaning anyone who tries to cancel a trip over safety fears is unlikely to be refunded.