This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx Airlines Cancel Flights Due to Iraq War March 20, 2003 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 7:57 a.m. ET CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Airlines responded to the start of war in Iraq by canceling flights Thursday, while others sent special planes to ferry their nationals home. The German carrier Lufthansa canceled all flights to Tel Aviv, Israel; Amman, Jordan; Beirut, Lebanon; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for Thursday and Friday. It said it would make further plans this weekend. Singapore Airlines said it was suspending 65 weekly flights -- including service to Las Vegas and Chicago -- due to ``softening demand'' from the war. The carrier is known for recording high profits since it was set up 30 years ago -- even during the industry's worst crisis, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Still, Singapore Airlines canceled flights to the capitals of Belgium and Spain and rerouted flights to London and Istanbul, Turkey, to avoid flying over Iraq. Flights to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were scaled back earlier. Air India and Pakistan International Airlines sent special planes to Kuwait on Thursday to evacuate nationals who had left Iraq ahead of the U.S.-led attack, officials said. More than 1 million Indian and 60,000 Pakistani workers are in the region. Evacuations are voluntary, but both India and Pakistan have announced emergency plans in case the situation worsens. Azerbaijan State Airlines offered the nation's main airport so civilian aircraft that usually refuel in Gulf states would instead be able refuel in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. Meanwhile, other airlines worldwide announced they were canceling or scaling back Mideast flights. Among them, Greek national carrier Olympic Airways canceled service to Beirut, Dubai, and Alexandria, Egypt, and cut back flights to Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus. Austrian Airlines canceled its flight to Tel Aviv but said a flight to Damascus, Syria, had taken off as planned. British Airways suspended service earlier to Tel Aviv and Kuwait, but said flights to other Mideast destinations were operating normally, as did Air France and Spain's Iberia. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Iraq-Airlines.html?ex=1049171454&ei=1&en=66ce531386e8f1b3 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@xxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company