Iran Reopens Airspace After Five-Hour Closure Amid Rising US–Iran Tensions

Thursday — Iran reopened its airspace late Wednesday night after keeping it closed for nearly five hours amid growing fears of possible military action involving the United States. The sudden shutdown caused widespread disruption, forcing airlines to cancel, divert, or delay dozens of international flights.

According to a notice published on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website, Iran closed its airspace at 5:15pm ET (2215 GMT). Only a limited number of authorised international arrivals and departures were allowed during the closure.

The restriction was lifted shortly before 10pm ET (0300 GMT), flight-tracking service Flightradar24 confirmed.

Flightradar24 data showed that at the time of the closure, Iran’s skies were nearly empty. This was unusual, as dozens of aircraft are normally seen flying over the country at that hour.

Several airlines were directly affected:

• Russia’s Aeroflot flight to Tehran turned back to Moscow

• India’s IndiGo warned of international flight disruptions

• flydubai and Turkish Airlines cancelled multiple Iran-bound flights

Airlines were forced to reroute flights around Iranian airspace, leading to longer travel times and delays.

The temporary shutdown came as tensions between Iran and the United States continued to rise. President Donald Trump has been weighing possible responses amid Iran’s largest anti-government protests in years.

A Western military official told Reuters that “all the signals suggest a US attack could be imminent.” However, the official added that unpredictability remains part of Washington’s strategy.

Two European officials separately said US military action could occur within 24 hours, while an Israeli official said intervention appeared likely, though details were still unclear.

A US official confirmed that American personnel were being withdrawn from some military bases in the Middle East. This followed a warning from a senior Iranian official, who said Tehran would target US bases in neighbouring countries if attacked.

The situation has raised serious concerns for civil aviation, as missile and drone activity in the region continues to increase.

Aviation safety group Safe Airspace, run by OPSGROUP, said most airlines are now avoiding Iranian airspace.

“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services,” the group said.
“The risk includes missile launches, air defence activity, and possible misidentification of civilian aircraft.”

The United States already bans all US commercial flights from overflying Iran. There are also no direct flights between the two countries.

Germany issued a fresh directive advising its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace. This came shortly after Lufthansa adjusted its Middle East operations.

Lufthansa said it will:

• Avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice

• Operate only daytime flights to Tel Aviv and Amman

• Cancel some flights to avoid overnight crew stays

ITA Airways, now partly owned by Lufthansa Group, also announced it will suspend night flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday next week.

While Iran has reopened its airspace, airlines remain cautious. Industry experts warn that further closures or restrictions are possible if regional tensions increase.

For now, carriers continue to monitor the situation closely as diplomatic and military developments unfold.