Lufthansa Group Extends Middle East Flight Suspensions Through Autumn

Lufthansa Group suspends flights to 8 Middle East destinations until late 2026 for operational certainty. Stock under pressure despite Asia booking surge and ITA Airways integration.

In a strategic shift from week-by-week assessments, the Lufthansa Group has opted for long-term operational certainty, suspending flights to most affected destinations in the Middle East until late October. This decisive move signals management's expectation that regional tensions will not ease quickly.

Stock Performance and Strategic Implications

Lufthansa shares closed at €7.55 in the latest trading session, a level approximately twelve percent below their 50-day moving average of €8.57. The equity has declined nearly twelve percent since the start of the year, with the extended Middle East withdrawal weighing on investor sentiment. This pressure persists despite the group's official 2026 target for an Adjusted EBIT significantly above the prior year's figure. The full financial impact of losing an entire network of routes until autumn remains difficult to quantify precisely, as the company has not yet disclosed detailed data on its exposure to the region.

Operational Adjustments Across the Network

Citing ongoing security concerns, Lufthansa Group airlines—including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Edelweiss, and Lufthansa Cargo—will halt services to eight destinations through October 24, 2026. Affected cities include Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Riyadh, and Tehran. Flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv remain canceled through the end of May, with a separate evaluation to follow. Passengers holding tickets for these routes are eligible for free rebooking or a full refund.

The company highlights an operational benefit to this extended planning horizon: predictable, long-term cancellations enable more stable scheduling for aircraft and crew deployment. Concurrently, the group appears to be benefiting in other markets. Advance bookings for direct flights to Asia have reportedly surged by 75 percent, as Gulf-based carriers reduce capacity on these competing routes.

Further Integration of ITA Airways

In a parallel development, the group is taking a major step in integrating its Italian subsidiary. Effective April 1, ITA Airways will transition into the Miles & More frequent flyer program and simultaneously join the Star Alliance. This move will phase out ITA's proprietary Volare program. The integration grants the program's 39 million members access to the Italian carrier's network, while ITA passengers gain connectivity to 35 global airline partners. This follows the Lufthansa Group's acquisition of a 41 percent stake in ITA Airways, which was finalized in January 2025.