Lufthansa Group says crews will not spend overnights in Israel amid Iran threat - report

Lufthansa Group announced that its crews will not stay overnight in Israel between flights to Ben-Gurion Airport until November 30, citing the threat of a potential war with Iran, N12 News reported. The policy affects Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways, requiring schedule changes and possible cancellations.

Lufthansa Group announced that its crews will not be allowed to stay overnight in Israel between flights to and from Ben-Gurion Airport until November 30, citing the threat of a potential war with Iran, N12 News reported Thursday. The parent company, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways, said the new regulations will require schedule changes that may result in some cancellations. Early morning flights from Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich will now include an hour-long crew change layover in either Athens or Larnaca to avoid overnight stays in Tel Aviv, likely to comply with EASA crew rest requirements. The report noted that other non-canceled flights will continue to operate directly, though flight times may change. The group has canceled and resumed its flights to Israel several times since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and announced in August that it would expand operations to Ben-Gurion, though it was unclear how the new crew regulations would affect those plans.