Iran shuts airspace: Air India cancels some flights, IndiGo ops hit—‘international flights are impacted’— details here

Iran shut its airspace to all flights at 5:15 pm ET (2215 GMT / 3:45 am IST Thursday), allowing only international services to and from the country with official clearance, according to a notice on the FAA website, Reuters reported.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated, while protests continue nationwide in the Islamic Republic.

On Thursday, Air India cancelled at least three flights to the US, and some European services are expected to be delayed due to the closure of Iranian airspace, PTI reported, citing a source.

“The cancellations include two flights from the national capital to New York and Newark, and one from Mumbai to New York,” the source told PTI.

In a post on X, the airline said that due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays.

Air India normally flies over Iranian airspace on routes to the U.S. and Europe, but the alternative is to reroute over Iraq.

PTI reported, citing a source, that flying via Iraq would extend flight times, leaving planes without enough fuel for some US services.

With Pakistan’s airspace already closed, Air India is taking longer routes for many westbound flights.

IndiGo issues advisory

Meanwhile, India's largest airline, IndiGo, said some of its international flights would be impacted by Iran's sudden airspace closure.

In a post on X, IndiGo said the situation was beyond their control, adding, “Due to the sudden airspace closure by Iran, some of our international flights are impacted. If your flight is impacted, we encourage you to visit our website to explore flexible rebooking options or to claim a refund, as per your preference," IndiGo said.

Meanwhile, Air India also said some of its flights were being cancelled when rerouting wasn't feasible.

The airline added that, due to the developing situation in Iran, its flights that normally pass over the area are now taking alternate routes, which could cause delays.

Some Air India flights where currently rerouting is not possible are being cancelled, Air India said on X.

Reuters reported that an Aeroflot flight headed to Tehran turned back to Moscow after the airspace closure, based on data from Flightradar24.

Earlier Wednesday, Germany warned its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace, shortly after Lufthansa adjusted its Middle East operations as regional tensions intensified.

The US already bans its commercial airlines from flying over Iran, and there are no direct routes between the two countries. Carriers such as flydubai and Turkish Airlines have also cancelled several Iran-bound flights in the past week.

According to Safe Airspace — a flight-risk information site run by OPSGROUP — many airlines have scaled back or halted services and most are steering clear of Iranian airspace, Reuters reported.

The group warned that the situation could indicate potential security or military activity, including possible missile launches or heightened air-defence responses, raising the risk of civilian aircraft being misidentified, according to the report.

On Wednesday, Lufthansa said that it would avoid both Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice and would operate only daytime flights to Tel Aviv and Amman through next Monday to prevent crews from overnight stays.

MEA on Iran conflict

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid travel to Iran until further notice in view of the rising tensions and protests in the country.

"In view of the ongoing developments in Iran, Indian nationals are once 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 5 January amid concerns over the worsening security situation in Iran.

Separately, the Indian Embassy in Tehran advised Indian nationals currently in Iran to leave the country at the earliest opportunity.

"Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights," the Embassy said in an advisory on X.

"In continuation of the advisory issued by the Government of India on 5 January 2025, and in view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)