Romania’s Tarom suspends flights to Beirut amid escalating tensions
<p>Romania's flag carrier Tarom announced that it suspended its July 31 and August 1 flights to/from Beirut amid worsening tensions in the Middle East and following the warning issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid any travel to this region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Tarom advises all passengers affected by these cancellations to contact the company to reschedule the trip for a later date at no additional cost. Passengers also have the option to request a refund," reads the <a href="https://www.tarom.ro/stiri/informare-pasageri-suspedare-zboruri-catre-beirut-in-datele-de-31-iulie-si-1-august-2024/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">announcement</a>.</p>

<p>The airline also said it continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East and inform travelers "about the status of the flights scheduled for the coming days."</p>

<p>"We recommend passengers to follow the company's official communications and contact the Tarom team for assistance," it said.</p>

<p>The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) issued a travel warning for Lebanon due to an "increased risk of escalation" in the region, urging Romanians to avoid any travel to this state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Romanian citizens of the existence of security risks […], with the firm recommendation to avoid any travel because of the security situation that risks deteriorating unpredictably, affecting the availability of commercial flights and travel routes," reads the ministry's statement.</p>

<p>Romanians in Lebanon have also been advised to "responsibly evaluate the possibility of leaving the territory of this state as long as commercial flights and exit routes are available."</p>

<p>"It is strongly recommended to leave the southern areas of the Republic of Lebanon (the region south of the Litani River) immediately given the recent armed clashes in the Lebanese-Israeli border area," the MAE also said.</p>

<p>Lebanon has been bracing for conflict with Israel since a strike last weekend in the&nbsp;Israeli-occupied Golan Heights&nbsp;killed 12 children and teenagers, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/hezbollah-israel-conflict-not-inevitable-us-defense-secretary-says-2024-07-30/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported. Hezbollah has denied blame, but Israel's military claimed it killed the armed group's most senior commander in an airstrike on Beirut on Tuesday.</p>

<p><i>irina.marica@romania-insider.com</i></p>

<p><i>(Photo source: <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Johnypan/Dreamstime.com</a>)</i></p>