Air France Suspends Flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv

Air France has announced the suspension of its flights to both Tel Aviv and Beirut until Thursday, September 19, 2024, due to heightened security concerns.

In a statement, the airline confirmed that flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and the two cities will remain on hold as the geopolitical situation continues to unfold.

The company noted that resumption of services will depend on daily assessments of the local security environment.

Air France emphasized that it is closely monitoring geopolitical developments in the regions where its planes operate, prioritizing the safety and security of its passengers and crew.

Affected customers will be contacted individually and offered options to either reschedule their flights or receive refunds, the airline stated.

This decision comes amidst escalating tensions in Lebanon, where explosions involving "pager" communication devices used by Hezbollah were reported on Tuesday.

These explosions occurred in Hezbollah strongholds, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the eastern Bekaa Valley region.

The blasts resulted in the deaths of nine people, including a child, and injured 2,750 others, according to preliminary figures.

The pagers are typically used by Hezbollah members for field communication, as they are considered less susceptible to Israeli surveillance than mobile phones.