Turkish Airlines, Pegasus halt flights to Iran

ANKARA

Turkish Airlines and Pegasus have canceled all flights to Iran until Nov. 1 amid rising concerns over a potential Israeli retaliatory strike after Iran’s recent missile attacks.

Both Turkish carriers suspended operations due to security concerns, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Oct. 23.

Israel is reportedly preparing for a significant retaliatory strike in response to Iran's missile assault on Oct. 1, when Tehran launched around 180 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory.

Last week, two U.S. intelligence documents, reportedly outlining Israel’s plans for retaliation, were leaked and circulated on a Telegram channel. The U.S. government has launched an investigation into the leak, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling the situation “very concerning.”

Meanwhile, German airline Lufthansa announced yesterday it will also extend the suspension of flights to Beirut and Tehran well into 2025 due to the ongoing crisis.

According to a statement from the company, flights to Lebanon’s capital Beirut will remain suspended until Feb. 28, 2025, while services to Iran's capital Tehran are canceled through Jan. 31, 2025.

This decision affects all airlines within the Lufthansa Group, including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels airlines.

The announcement comes a day after Lufthansa extended its flight ban to Tel Aviv until Nov. 10, with its subsidiary Eurowings suspending flights to the city until Nov. 30.