Iran Massacre: Amidst rising tensions in the country, an Indigo flight bound for Delhi narrowly escaped Iranian airspace just before Tehran abruptly closed it. The sudden closure caused chaos in international flight operations, forcing major Indian airlines to reroute or cancel some of their international flights.
Flight-tracking data showed that Indigo flight 6E1808, which departed from Tbilisi, Georgia, passed over Iran at approximately 2:35 AM on Thursday, just minutes before the closure began at around 3 AM.
The aircraft is believed to have been the last non-Iranian-registered passenger plane in Iranian airspace before Tehran’s aviation authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), which abruptly halted most air traffic on Thursday, except for a limited number of approved international flights.
According to pilot guidance issued by Iran, the closure lasted for over four hours, impacting a crucial east-west flight path. International aircraft rerouted north and south around Iran, but after an extension, the closure ended, and several domestic flights were airborne shortly after 7 AM.
International Flight Operations Disrupted
Iran is facing widespread protests against its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while tensions with the US are escalating. The country had previously closed its airspace during a 12-day war against Israel in June and during exchanges of fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.
However, there were no indications of current hostilities, yet the closure immediately impacted global aviation as Iran lies on a critical east-west route for airlines. Safe Airspace, a website that provides information on conflict zones and air travel, said, “Many airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most aircraft are avoiding Iranian airspace.”
“This situation could indicate further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or increased air defenses, which increases the risk of misidentification of civilian traffic.”
Impact on Indian Airlines
Major Indian airlines Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet reported on Thursday that they had to reroute some of their international flights due to Iran’s closure of its airspace. Air India said it had to cancel its morning flights, such as Delhi-New York JFK (AI 101), Delhi-Newark (AI 105), and Mumbai-JFK (AI 119). Return flights were also canceled.
IndiGo’s Baku-Delhi flight, which was scheduled to depart early in the morning, had to return to the Azerbaijani capital within an hour, as it was supposed to fly over Iran after crossing the Caspian Sea.
Air India stated in a post on the social media platform X, “Given the evolving situation in Iran, the closure of its airspace, and the safety of our passengers, Air India flights operating over this region are now using alternative routes, which may result in delays.”
The company said it is canceling flights “where rerouting is not currently feasible.”
IndiGo said, “Due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace, some of our international flights have been affected. Our teams are working diligently to assess the situation and assist affected customers with the best possible options.”
SpiceJet also shared a similar travel update, citing the closure of Iranian airspace as the reason for the impact on flights.
The airlines said that the safety of passengers and crew is their top priority and requested passengers to check their flight status on the company’s website. Other international airlines, such as Lufthansa, have also been affected, and their flights are being canceled.
According to a Lufthansa spokesperson, “Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the Lufthansa Group, after careful consideration, has decided to operate flights to Tel Aviv and Amman as daytime flights from Thursday, January 15 to Monday, January 19, 2026.”
The statement added, “In some cases, flights may also be canceled. Furthermore, all Lufthansa Group airlines will avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.”
(With agency input)