Iran reopens airspace: Flights rerouted, cancelled, services suspended; details

After closing its airspace for about five hours, Iran has reopened it, with five of the country's carriers resuming services over it, Reuters reports. The country had closed its airspace as concerns about military action between Iran and the US are escalating. The action has resulted in delays, rerouting and suspension of many flight services, especially to West Asia and Europe. The Iranian route is used by many long-haul services from India, as it's more fuel-efficient and shorter than its alternatives. 

How are flights from India impacted?
Many national carriers have announced that, due to the emerging situation in Iran, flights on this route are being rerouted, which can cause delays. On its social media page, Air India said, "Some Air India flights, where currently rerouting is not possible, are being cancelled. We request passengers to check the status of their flights on our website before heading to the airport." At least three flights to the US - from Delhi to New York and Newark, and another from Mumbai to New York; and certain services to Europe are the affected Air India flights, according to PTI.

Indigo also said that some of its flights are affected. "The development is beyond our control, and we regret the disruption it may have caused to your travel plans," said the airline on its X page. SpiceJet also said on X that a few of its flights may be affected by the closure. 

International carriers
The United States has already prohibited its commercial flights from flying over Iran. After today's airspace closure, Russia's Aeroflot, bound for Tehran, was instructed to return to Moscow according to Flightradar24. On Wednesday, Germany also cautioned its airlines from entering Iran's airspace. Flydubai and Turkish airlines had also cancelled many flights to Iran in the previous week. Many other airlines are also avoiding Iranian airspace amid the political developments. 
(With inputs from PTI, Reuters)