Air India cancelled at least three flights to the United States on Thursday after Iran abruptly shut its airspace to commercial aircraft, forcing Indian carriers to issue travel advisories amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Several Indian carriers including IndiGo and SpiceJet issued travel advisories on Thursday after the abrupt airspace shutdown.
Iran early Thursday extended an order closing its airspace to commercial flights without offering any explanation. A notice to pilots said the closure was estimated to last until 7.30 am local time, extending a previous order that had initially shut the airspace for just over two hours. The Iranian government did not clarify the reason behind the decision.
Indian flights impacted
Air India also warned of delays on certain Europe services due to airspace constraints, according to a source.
The cancelled services include two flights from New Delhi to New York and Newark, and one flight from Mumbai to New York, the source told PTI.
Air India said it had begun using alternative routes for flights overflying the region, which could result in delays or cancellations.
The airline typically uses Iranian airspace for its flights to the US and Europe, but with that route unavailable, aircraft are being diverted over Iraqi airspace. However, flying via Iraq significantly increases flight duration, leaving some aircraft without sufficient fuel to operate certain long-haul US services, the source said.
The disruptions have been compounded by the continued closure of Pakistan’s airspace, which has already forced Air India to operate longer routes on many westbound flights.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Air India said, "Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, Air India flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays. Some Air India flights where currently rerouting is not possible are being cancelled."
The airline advised passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, adding, "Safety of our passengers and crew remain top priority."
India’s largest airline IndiGo said some of its international flights were impacted due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace. IndiGo, in a post early Thursday, said some of its international flights were “impacted” due to the “sudden airspace closure” by Iran.
"Our teams are working diligently to assess the situation and support affected customers by offering the best possible alternatives," the airline said.
"This development is beyond our control, and we regret the disruption it may have caused to your travel plans. 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," it added.
SpiceJet also issued a similar travel update, attributing flight disruptions to the airspace closure over Iran.
The closure came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, with Iranian officials signalling fast-track trials and possible executions of suspects detained during nationwide protests, while also warning of retaliation if the US or Israel intervenes.
At the same time, some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate, even as President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements over 24 hours that left uncertainty over potential American action against Iran.
Temporary reopening, global impact
Iran later reopened its airspace after a near five-hour closure amid concerns about possible military action between the US and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay flights.
Iran had closed its airspace to all flights except international services to and from the country with official permission at 5:15 p.m. ET (2215 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a notice on the US Federal Aviation Administration website.
The notice was removed shortly before 10 p.m. ET (0300 GMT), according to Flightradar24, which showed that five flights operated by Iranian carriers Mahan Air, Yazd Airways and AVA Airlines were among the first to resume operations.
At a similar time last week, there had been dozens of planes flying over Iran, the tracking service said.
A flight by Russia’s Aeroflot bound for Tehran returned to Moscow after the closure. Several global airlines also adjusted operations.
Germany issued a directive cautioning its airlines against entering Iranian airspace, while Lufthansa said it would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice and operate only day flights to Tel Aviv and Amman for a limited period.
Italian carrier ITA Airways said it would suspend night flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday next week.
The United States already prohibits all US commercial flights from overflying Iran, and there are no direct flights between the two countries.
Airlines such as flydubai and Turkish Airlines have cancelled multiple flights to Iran in the past week.
"Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace," Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, said. "The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defence, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic."
A Ukraine International Airlines jet was downed by Iran’s military in 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
Political signals and rising unrest
Amid the aviation disruptions, President Trump told reporters that he had been informed plans for executions in Iran had stopped.
“We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it's stopped — it's stopping,” Trump said at the White House. “And there's no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions — so I've been told that on good authority.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought to lower tensions, urging diplomacy over conflict. Asked what message he had for Trump, Araghchi said: “My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don't have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war."
The comments came hours after Iran’s judiciary chief said authorities must act quickly to punish thousands detained during protests, including by fast-tracking executions.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 2,615 people have been killed in the crackdown, including 2,615 protesters and 153 government-affiliated individuals. Thirteen children and 14 civilians not taking part in protests were also among the dead. More than 18,400 people have been detained, the group said, though independent verification has been difficult due to communication disruptions inside Iran.