Iran’s airspace was reopened early Thursday following a temporary suspension that prohibited most flights in and out for several hours due to worries that the U.S. might execute military actions, increasing risks for airlines.
The restrictions lasted for 5 hours and were lifted at 3:30 a.m. UTC, equating to 10:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
As of 4 a.m. UTC, live information from flight tracker FlightRadar24 indicated that many planes were still avoiding Iranian airspace, although certain domestic airlines had started to resume operations.
The initial decree allowed international flights into and out of Tehran, provided they secured prior consent from Iran’s civil aviation authority.
This airspace restriction emerged amid rising tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump issued threats of intervention following a deadly crackdown on protests against the government in Iran. Trump has openly stated that he would “come to the aid” of Iranian protesters if the violent measures persisted.
The U.S. has started relocating some staff and equipment from its military bases in the Middle East, prompted by Iranian warnings of potential attacks on those sites if the U.S. launches an offensive.
Subsequently, Trump seemed to soften his stance. During a White House address on Wednesday evening, he remarked that he had been assured the killings of protestors in Iran had ceased and that he would “monitor the situation” regarding any potential U.S. military response.
In recent days, numerous airlines have either canceled or redirected flights to Tehran. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, announced on Thursday that some of its international operations would be affected by the airspace closure.
Earlier this week, Germany cautioned its airlines against entering Iranian airspace. In a response emailed to CNBC on Thursday, the Lufthansa Group stated it would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, causing a number of flights to be canceled.
The U.S. has forbidden all American commercial flights from traversing Iran. Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines have also canceled numerous flights to Iran over the last week.
Demonstrations erupted late last year after Iran’s national currency, the rial, fell to unprecedented lows, exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis. The unrest has evolved into a wider movement against the theocratic governance of the regime, resulting in violent confrontations that have reportedly claimed at least 2,571 lives, as reported by the U.S.-based HRANA rights organization.
— CNBC’s Nur Hikmah Md Ali contributed to this report.
