Lufthansa has announced major changes to its Middle East flight schedule, including canceling all flights to and from Tehran and stopping its aircraft from flying through Iranian and Iraqi airspace.

A spokesperson for the German airline told AFP on Monday, January 19, that Lufthansa will not run any flights to or from Tehran until March 30. The spokesperson added that Austrian Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary, has also canceled its flights to Iran until February 16.

In a separate statement, Lufthansa said it will switch its overnight round-trip flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Amman, Jordan, to daytime flights until further notice. The airline said the change is due to the risk of combat drone activity at night.

Aviation industry experts state that by operating round-trip flights during daylight hours, the airline reduces security risks for its crew and lowers insurance premiums.

However, this condensed new schedule will eliminate approximately 120 tons of export capacity, representing a significant blow to German pharmaceutical and automotive industry suppliers.