A Delhi-bound IndiGo flight narrowly exited Iranian airspace minutes before Tehran abruptly shut its skies, triggering widespread disruption to international flight operations and forcing several Indian carriers to reroute or cancel services.
Flight-tracking data showed IndiGo flight 6E1808, operating from Tbilisi to Delhi, crossed Iranian airspace at around 2.35 am on Thursday, shortly before the closure took effect at approximately 3 am. The aircraft is believed to be the last non-Iran-registered passenger flight to transit the country before Iranian aviation authorities issued a Notice to Airmen halting most air traffic.
The sudden shutdown, which lasted for more than four hours, disrupted a key east–west aviation corridor linking Europe and Asia. After one extension, the restriction appeared to expire, with several domestic Iranian flights resuming shortly after 7 am, according to pilot guidance.
Iran’s airspace has been closed on previous occasions during periods of heightened tension, including during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June and exchanges of fire during the Israel-Hamas war. The latest disruption comes amid widespread protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, though there were no immediate indications of active hostilities.
The closure sent ripples through global aviation networks, with airlines diverting flights north and south to avoid Iranian airspace. “Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” the conflict-monitoring website SafeAirspace 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.”
Indian carriers were among those affected. Air India said it cancelled multiple early morning long-haul services, including Delhi-New York JFK (AI 101), Delhi-Newark (AI 105) and Mumbai-New York JFK (AI 119), along with their return flights.
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“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,” the airline said in a post on X. It added that flights were being cancelled “where currently rerouting is not possible”.
IndiGo confirmed that its Baku-Delhi service was forced to return to the Azerbaijan capital within an hour of departure, as the planned route required overflying Iran after crossing the Caspian Sea.
“Due to the sudden airspace closure by Iran, some of our international flights are impacted. Our teams are working diligently to assess the situation and support affected customers by offering the best possible alternatives,” the airline said.
SpiceJet also issued a travel advisory citing disruptions caused by the Iranian airspace closure, reiterating that passenger and crew safety remained its top priority.
International airlines were similarly affected. Lufthansa said it had adjusted operations in the Middle East and would reroute flights to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace. “In some cases, there may also be flight cancellations. In addition, Iranian and Iraqi airspace will be circumnavigated by all Lufthansa Group airlines until further notice,” a spokesperson said.
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