Air France, Transavia Levant Flight Suspensions Remain

DALLAS – Air France (AF) announced today it has extended its suspension of flights to Israel and Lebanon due to security concerns. Meanwhile, Transavia (HV) has announced that its service to Beirut will continue to be suspended for the whole winter flying season ending in March, 2025.

As per a report from today.lorientlejour.com, "Air France is extending the suspension of its services between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle [CDG] and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport [TLV] until Jan. 17, 2025, inclusive."

Services between CDG and Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport [BEY] are suspended until Jan. 31, 2025, inclusive," the carrier told AFP, until "an assessment of the situation on site proves safe enough to resume said route.

Air France (AF) announced on Sunday, November 3, that it had proactively suspended all flights over the Red Sea zone. The decision was made after crew members of the airline reported observing a “luminous object” during a flight over Sudan.

At the time, the French flag carrier was the only airline to have implemented such a precautionary measure over the Red Sea zone. While the airspace in the region had not officially been closed, safety of flight crew and passengers defines commercial aviation operations.

The airline’s decision was influenced by the fact that the Red Sea region is considered extremely hazardous due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which commenced in 2023, and a series of Houthi rebel assaults on vessels associated with the war in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas.

The region that includes Israel and Lebanon is called the Levant. Today, flying to the US from Israel is almost only possible via an Israeli carrier.

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