Britons have been urged by the government to leave Lebanon amid rising tensions triggered by the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The change came as Virgin Atlantic extended the cancellation of London-Tel Aviv flights into November rather than resuming one of two frequencies on October 27 as previously planned.
The Foreign Office continues to advise against all travel to the whole of Lebanon.
But its travel advice was updated last night (Tuesday), telling British nationals in the country to leave.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: “If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now while commercial options remain available.
“Events in Lebanon are fast moving. The situation has potential to deteriorate quickly and with no warning.
“Commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice and roads across the country could be closed.”
The FDCO warned: “In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, the British embassy may be increasingly limited in the assistance that it can provide. Do not rely on FCDO being able to evacuate you in an emergency.”
International flights continue to operate from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri international airport.
A single service to London is operated by Middle East Airlines (MEA) but with a revised schedule that sees one of two daily frequencies cancelled on some days, according to the carrier’s website.
Other airlines with departures from Beirut include Air Arabia to Sharjah, Air France to Paris, Cyprus Airways to Larnaca, Egyptair to Cairo, Emirates and FlyDubai to Dubai, Etihad to Abu Dhabi, Pegasus Airlines to three destinations in Turkey, Qatar Airways to Doha, Turkish Airlines to Istanbul.
Virgin Atlantic said: “Due to the ongoing situation in Israel, our flights to and from Tel Aviv may face delays or cancellations.
“Based on the latest information, we have taken the decision to pause flying to and from Tel Aviv until Friday, 4 November.
“The safety and security of our customers and our people are our number one priority and our flying programme to Israel remains under constant review. We would advise anyone booked to travel to check their flight status on the website before travelling to the airport.
“Please note we will resume operating our service from 5 November.”
Meanwhile, British Airways flights between Heathrow and Tel Aviv remain suspended until October 27, EasyJet from the Israeli gateway until November 7 and Ryanair until November 6. Most Wizz Air Tel Aviv flights have been cancelled.
El Al continues to maintain service to London and other European destinations including Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Lisbon, Milan and Paris.