EgyptAir resumes flights to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq after brief suspension following Iranian attack

The Egyptian state-owned flag carrier, EgyptAir, resumed on Sunday its flights to and from Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, hours after their airspace had been reopened following a few hours of closure in response to Iran’s overnight attacks on Israel. 

EgyptAir said in a statement that it would resume flights to various airports located in the three countries, urging its customers to contact the company’s local and international hotlines for more details.

Since October last year, Israel has antagonised Arab nations with a deadly and indiscriminate offensive against the Gaza Strip, which borders Egypt. At least 33,729 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.

The Israeli attack, is now in its seventh consecutive month. Many people are currently on the verge of famine in the besieged Palestinian territory as Israel refuses to allow adequate quantities of aid in.  

Iran launched a wide-scale drone and missile attack on Israel to retaliate against the Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria’s capital Damascus earlier this month, which left 13 people dead, including several powerful Iranian generals and six Syrians.

Shortly after the Iranian attack took place, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry voiced concerns over what it described as “a dangerous escalation between the two countries,” calling on both states “to exercise the utmost self-control to avoid further instability in the region.”

The Egyptian cabinet  denied in a statement in the early hours of Sunday that any emergency closure of its airspace was in place, confirming that business is as usual at the country’s airports nationwide.

It remains unclear, however, whether EgyptAir is likely to suspend flights again to neighbouring countries amid regional tensions, as EgyptAir officials could not be reached for comment at the publication time.