How a Delhi-Bound IndiGo Flight Escaped Iran’s Airspace Just Minutes Before Tehran Closed the Skies

A Delhi-bound IndiGo aircraft narrowly avoided disruption after exiting Iranian airspace just minutes before Tehran imposed a sudden shutdown, triggering widespread disruption to international aviation.

The abrupt decision, taken amid escalating unrest inside Iran, forced airlines across regions to reroute or cancel flights on one of the world's busiest east-west air corridors.

IndiGo flight clears Iranian skies just in time

Flight-tracking data showed that IndiGo flight 6E1808, operating from Tbilisi in Georgia to Delhi, crossed Iranian airspace at around 2.35 am on Thursday. The airspace closure began roughly 25 minutes later, at about 3 am.

Aviation sources believe this aircraft was the last non-Iran-registered passenger flight to pass through Iranian skies before the country's aviation authority issued a Notice to Airmen, abruptly halting most flight movements.

According to pilot guidance released by Iran, the closure remained in force for more than four hours. Iran sits on a critical global flight route linking Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, which meant the shutdown immediately forced airlines to divert flights northwards and southwards. After one extension, the restriction appeared to lapse, with several domestic Iranian flights resuming shortly after 7 am.

Unrest in Iran sends shockwaves through global aviation

Iran is currently witnessing widespread protests against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside rising tensions with the United States. While there were no confirmed signs of active hostilities during the latest closure, the move echoed previous shutdowns during the 12-day war with Israel in June and during missile exchanges amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Aviation risk monitoring platform SafeAirspace warned that the closure could indicate deeper security concerns. "Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace," the website said. "The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defence, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic."

Indian airlines reroute and cancel international flights

Indian carriers were among the worst hit as Iran shut its skies. Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet confirmed that several international services were affected due to the sudden restriction. Air India cancelled multiple early morning long-haul flights, including Delhi to New York JFK (AI 101), Delhi to Newark (AI 105), and Mumbai to New York JFK (AI 119). Corresponding return flights were also called off.

IndiGo's Baku to Delhi service was forced to turn back to Azerbaijan's capital within an hour of departure, as its planned route required overflying Iran after crossing the Caspian Sea.

"Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, Air India flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays," Air India said in a post on social media platform X. The airline added that it is cancelling flights "where currently rerouting is not possible".

IndiGo, in a separate statement, said, "Due to the sudden airspace closure by Iran, some of our international flights are impacted. Our teams are working diligently to assess the situation and support affected customers by offering the best possible alternatives." SpiceJet also issued a similar advisory, attributing disruptions to the Iranian airspace shutdown.

All three airlines underlined that the "safety of passengers and crew remains top priority" and urged travellers to check flight status through official websites.

Lufthansa and others avoid Iran and Iraq airspace

The disruption extended beyond Indian airlines, with several international carriers adjusting operations. Lufthansa confirmed changes to its Middle East schedule, citing heightened regional uncertainty.

"Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the Lufthansa Group has decided, after careful evaluation, to operate flights to and from Tel Aviv and Amman as day flights from Thursday, January 15, up to and including Monday, January 19, 2026," a Lufthansa spokesperson said.

"In some cases, there may also be flight cancellations. In addition, Iranian and Iraqi airspace will be circumnavigated by all Lufthansa Group airlines until further notice," the spokesperson added.

With Iran positioned at the heart of major global air routes, even brief closures continue to send ripples through international aviation, leaving airlines and passengers bracing for further uncertainty.