Iran closed its airspace to all flights at 17:15 ET (2215 GMT / 3:45 IST Thursday), allowing only international flights to and from the country with official permission, according to an announcement on the FAA website, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, tensions with the US are rising and nationwide protests continue in Iran.
IndiGo, Air India issue alert
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said some of its international flights would be affected by the sudden closure of Iranian airspace.
In a post on X, InGo said the situation was beyond our control, adding: “Due to the sudden closure of airspace by Iran, some of our international flights are affected.”
If your flight is affected, you are advised to visit our website and explore the flexible options of rebooking or requesting a refund, as per your preference, IndiGo said.
Meanwhile, Air India also noted that some flights are being canceled when rerouting is not possible.
The airline added that due to the evolving situation in Iran, its flights that normally fly over the area are now using alternative routes, which could cause delays.
Some Air India flights where rerouting is currently not possible are being cancelled, Air India said on X.
Reuters reported that an Aeroflot flight bound for Tehran turned back to Moscow after the airspace was closed, based on data from Flightradar24.
Earlier on Wednesday, Germany warned its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace, shortly after Lufthansa adjusted its operations in the Middle East as regional tensions escalated.
The US has already banned its commercial airlines from flying over Iran and there are no direct flights between the two countries. Carriers such as flydubai and Turkish Airlines have also canceled several flights to Iran in the past week.
According to Safe Airspace — a flight risk information website run by OPSGROUP — many airlines have reduced or suspended services and most are avoiding Iranian airspace, Reuters reported.
The group warned that the situation could indicate potential security or military activity, including possible missile launches or stepped-up air defense responses, increasing the risk of civilian aircraft being misidentified, according to the report.
On Wednesday, Lufthansa said it would avoid both Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice and would only operate daily flights to Tel Aviv and Amman until next Monday to prevent crews from staying overnight.
MEA on the Iran conflict
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid traveling to Iran until further notice in view of rising tensions and protests in the country.
“Due to the ongoing developments in Iran, Indian nationals are again strongly advised to avoid travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice,” the MEA said in a statement.
The advisory follows an earlier warning issued on January 5 due to concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Iran.
Separately, the Indian embassy in Tehran has advised Indian nationals currently in Iran to leave the country at the earliest opportunity.
“Indian nationals currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, businessmen and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights,” the embassy said in an alert on X.
“Following the advisory issued by the Government of India on January 5, 2025 and in view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, businessmen and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights,” he added.
(This is a developing story, more updates will follow…)
(With input from agencies)
