Iran Temporarily Closes Airspace
Iran implemented a temporary closure of its airspace late Wednesday for most incoming and outgoing flights, as reported by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice. The initial restriction period was from 10:15 p.m. UTC Wednesday to 12:30 a.m. UTC Thursday, subsequently extended from 1:14 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. UTC. Live flight tracking data indicated aircraft were rerouting to avoid Iranian airspace.
International flights to and from Tehran were exempt, contingent upon receiving prior approval from Iran's civil aviation authority.
Escalating Tensions with U.S.
This airspace closure occurred during heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. The escalation followed U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of intervention after a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran. President Trump later indicated that he had received assurances that the killings of protestors had stopped and stated he would "watch it and see" regarding potential U.S. military action.
Concurrently, the U.S. withdrew some personnel from American military bases in the Middle East. This action was taken in response to Iranian threats to target these locations if the U.S. launched an attack.
Impact on Airlines
Multiple airlines have either canceled or rerouted flights to Tehran in recent days. IndiGo, India's largest airline, confirmed Thursday that some of its international flights would be affected by Iran's airspace restrictions. Earlier in the week, Germany issued a warning to its airlines regarding Iranian airspace, and the Lufthansa Group announced it would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace, resulting in some flight cancellations.
All American commercial flights remain prohibited from overflying Iran. Additionally, airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines have canceled numerous flights to Iran over the past week.