Iran Reopens Airspace After Brief Shutdown Amid US Strike Fears

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Iran reopened its airspace early Thursday after a near five-hour closure triggered by fears of possible military escalation between the United States and Iran, which disrupted airline operations across the region.

According to a notice published on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website, Iran shut its airspace at 5:15 p.m. ET (2215 GMT), allowing only international flights operating to and from Iran with special official permission. The notice was lifted shortly before 10 p.m. ET (0300 GMT), flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed.

Flights operated by Iranian carriers including Mahan Air, Yazd Airways and AVA Airlines were among the first to resume operations over Iranian airspace following the reopening.

The temporary shutdown came as US President Donald Trump weighed potential responses to the unfolding situation in Iran, which has witnessed its largest anti-government protests in years.

A US official said Washington had begun withdrawing some personnel from military bases in the Middle East after a senior Iranian official warned that Tehran would target American bases in the region if the US launched strikes.

Airspace risks prompt airline disruptions

The heightened tensions prompted airlines to cancel, reroute or delay multiple flights. Germany on Wednesday issued a fresh advisory cautioning its airlines against entering Iranian airspace. Lufthansa said it had adjusted flight operations across the Middle East and would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.

The German carrier added that it would operate only daytime flights to Tel Aviv and Amman through Monday to avoid overnight stays for crew, warning that some flights could be cancelled as a result.

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The United States already bars all US commercial aircraft from overflying Iran, and there are no direct flights between the two countries.

Several international carriers, including flydubai and Turkish Airlines, have cancelled multiple services to Iran over the past week.“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” Safe Airspace, a flight risk monitoring platform run by OPSGROUP, said.

The organisation warned that escalating tensions could point to further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defence operations, increasing the danger of civil aircraft being misidentified.

(With Reuters inputs)

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