Camilla Jessen
Iran reopens airspace after five-hour flight ban.
Iran shut its airspace at 5:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, restricting all flights except international services with special permission, according to a notice published by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and cited by Reuters.
The restriction was lifted shortly before 10:00 p.m. ET, flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed. Several Iranian airline flights were among the first to resume travel over the country.
At the same time last week, when Iran imposed a similar closure, dozens of aircraft were still visible flying through its airspace, Flightradar24 data showed.
Rising tensions
The temporary shutdown came as President Donald Trump considers how to respond to developments in Iran, where authorities are facing the largest anti-government protests in years.
A U.S. official said Washington was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East. This followed comments by a senior Iranian official warning neighboring countries that Tehran would strike American bases if attacked.
Missile and drone activity across multiple conflict zones has raised risks for civilian aviation.
Airlines disrupted
Indian carriers were among those most affected.
IndiGo said some international flights would be impacted, while Air India warned of delays and possible cancellations as aircraft were rerouted.
A Russian Aeroflot flight heading to Tehran returned to Moscow after the airspace closure, Flightradar24 data showed. German authorities issued a warning to airlines not to enter Iranian airspace.
Lufthansa said it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.
Safety concerns
The United States already bans American commercial flights from crossing Iran, and there are no direct routes between the two countries.
Several airlines, including flydubai and Turkish Airlines, have canceled flights to Iran in recent days. “Several airlines have already reduced or suspended service, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” Safe Airspace, a service run by OPSGROUP, said.
“The situation may signal additional security or military activity,” it added, warning of misidentification risks for civilian aircraft.
Regional adjustments
Lufthansa said it would operate only daytime flights to Tel Aviv and Amman through early next week to avoid overnight crew stays. Some flights may be canceled.
ITA Airways, now majority-owned by Lufthansa Group, said it would also suspend night flights to Tel Aviv until next Tuesday.
Sources: Reuters, FAA, Flightradar24, Digi24
