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Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., discusses how the United States should respond to Middle East conflict on ‘Kudlow.’
Officials in Lebanon reportedly are banning pagers and walkie-talkies from being brought onboard planes departing Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport following waves of explosions this week targeting Hezbollah terrorists.
The directive from Lebanon’s civil aviation authority comes after at least 37 people were killed and more than 3,000 were wounded on Tuesday and Wednesday when pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah detonated, according to Reuters.
Lebanese officials reportedly are asking airlines operating in Beirut to tell passengers that such devices are banned until further notice, while they also cannot be shipped by air.
It’s not clear how many airlines are now following the order. Etihad Airways, when asked by FOX Business on Thursday about the matter, said it is “currently operating its normal flight schedule” out of Beirut and that it monitors “all global security situations minute-by-minute.”
A Lebanese Middle East Airlines plane is parked on the tarmac of Beirut International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 19. Lebanese authorities reportedly are banning pagers and walkie-talkies from being brought onboard planes departing the airport. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters)
“Safety is always our highest priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so,” a spokesperson for the airline added.
Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Middle East Airlines – Lebanon’s national carrier – did not immediately respond to requests for comment from FOX Business.
While those airlines still have flights scheduled to depart Beirut, others have canceled theirs outright.
Lufthansa Group, whose passenger airlines include Lufthansa Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, told FOX Business that “due to the current situation” in the Middle East, “flights to Beirut will be suspended until October 26, 2024.”
ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HOSPITALIZED, FLIGHT DIVERTED DUE TO STRANGE ODOR
People wait for their families after their flights land at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on Thursday, a day after hand-held radios used by the armed group Hezbollah detonated across Lebanon’s south. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters)
“The Lufthansa Group continues to monitor the situation closely and will further assess the situation in the coming days,” the company added in a statement, noting that “affected passengers can rebook free of charge to a later travel date or, alternatively, will receive a full refund of their ticket price.”
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers,” it also said. “The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority.”
People walk with their luggage outside Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 19. (Reuters/Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
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A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that Israel was behind the first group of explosions of pagers used by members of Hezbollah.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
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