Worldwide attention turned to Iran after it ordered a temporary closure of its airspace, affecting many international flights amid signs of rising security tensions.
Iran ordered a temporary closure of nearly all flights over its airspace, except officially authorized international flights, effective from 22:15 GMT on the evening of Wednesday, 14 January, according to a notice published on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website.
The announcement stated the airspace closure would last more than two hours, until 00:30 GMT, with the possibility of extension if the situation did not improve.
This move came amid escalating security tensions in the Middle East, with US officials revealing that the United States had begun withdrawing some personnel from regional bases after senior Iranian officials warned Tehran would attack US bases if Washington initiated strikes against Iran.
Aviation experts warned that missile and drone attacks across various conflict zones in the region pose a high risk to commercial aviation, particularly due to potential misidentification by air defense systems.
The airspace closure affected several airlines. IndiGo, India's largest carrier, reported some international flights were impacted, while Russia's national airline Aeroflot, en route to Tehran, had to return to Moscow following the closure, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.
Earlier, Germany issued a new warning urging its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace after Lufthansa adjusted its Middle East flight routes amid heightened tensions.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to prohibit US commercial flights from passing through Iranian airspace; there are no direct flights between the two countries. Airlines such as flydubai and Turkish Airlines have canceled multiple flights to Iran over the past week.
The website Safe Airspace, operated by OPSGROUP, reported that many airlines have reduced or suspended services and broadly avoided Iranian airspace. It warned that the situation could indicate further military activity, including missile launches or enhanced air defense deployments, potentially leading to misidentification of civilian aircraft.
Lufthansa announced it will avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, providing only daytime flights to Tel Aviv and Amman to avoid overnight crew stays. Italy's ITA Airways, in which Lufthansa is a major shareholder, also announced it will suspend nighttime flights to Tel Aviv until next week.
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