Air France announced on 9 April that it will keep its Dubai and Riyadh routes grounded until 31 March and its Tel Aviv and Beirut services suspended until 4 April, citing ongoing security risks and air-space closures linked to the Gaza conflict’s spill-over. The carrier had originally hoped to resume flights on 15 March but extended the halt after France’s DGAC aviation-risk cell raised the threat level for aircraft operating over parts of the Gulf and Levant. For corporate-travel managers the move complicates mobility planning. Passengers already ticketed on affected routes can rebook or request refunds, but seat availability on alternative carriers is tight as Easter traffic peaks. Air France says it is rerouting essential cargo via Amman and Jeddah using partner airline Saudia, but passenger codeshares are limited. Insurance underwriters have also adjusted their risk matrices: companies sending staff to Saudi Arabia via Paris may see war-risk premiums added to policies. Meanwhile, crews dedicated to the suspended routes will be reassigned to bolster capacity on high-demand transatlantic services where EES queues are expected to cause knock-on delays. Looking ahead, Air France will conduct a rolling 48-hour security review. Mobility teams should monitor the airline’s Travel Alert portal and consider contingency routings via Istanbul or Athens. If the suspension extends into April’s third week, contractual service-level agreements for time-critical assignments could be affected, triggering the need for force-majeure clauses.
Source: L’Orient Today / Reuters
