16 Air India flights diverted as Iran shuts airspace after Israel strike

Air India's Mumbai-London flight returned after three hours in air as Iran shut its skies following an Israeli strike near Tehran that killed a top commander

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In response to an Israeli strike in Tehran on Friday, Iran closed its airspace, prompting at least 16 Air India flights to be either diverted mid-route or return to their points of origin.

 

Affected Air India flights

AI130 London Heathrow → Mumbai — diverted to Vienna

AI102 New York → Delhi — diverted to Sharjah

AI116 New York → Mumbai — diverted to Jeddah

AI2018 London Heathrow → Delhi — diverted to Mumbai

AI129 Mumbai → London Heathrow — returned to Mumbai

AI119 Mumbai → New York — returned to Mumbai

AI103 Delhi → Washington — returned to Delhi

AI106 Newark → Delhi — returned to Delhi

AI188 Vancouver → Delhi — diverted to Jeddah

AI101 Delhi → New York — diverted to Frankfurt/Milan

AI126 Chicago → Delhi — diverted to Jeddah

AI132 London Heathrow → Bengaluru — diverted to Sharjah

AI2016 London Heathrow → Delhi — diverted to Vienna

AI104 Washington → Delhi — diverted to Vienna

AI190 Toronto → Delhi — diverted to Frankfurt

AI189 Delhi → Toronto — returned to Delhi

 

In a statement, Air India said the rerouting was in the interest of passenger safety.  “Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling are also being offered to guests who opt for it. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations, ” the airline said in a post on X.  Catch Israel Iran War News Updates LIVE 

Why Iran closed its airspace

Israel carried out a preemptive strike against Tehran in the early hours of Friday, and loud blasts were soon reported across the Iranian capital. In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.” The strike came one day after US President Donald Trump ordered American troops out of West Asia and warned that Israel might take action.   

 

  Iranian state television confirmed the death of General Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “severe punishment” for Israel, raising fears of further escalation.

 

Mumbai-London flight returns after 3 hrs in air

Air India flight AIC129, which departed from Mumbai to London early on Friday, turned back after spending nearly three hours in the air, flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed. The aircraft took off from Mumbai airport at 5:39 am but later returned to its point of origin without completing the journey.   

 

Effect on Indian airports

Delhi International Airport said on X that its operations remain “smooth”, but acknowledged schedule disruptions because of “evolving airspace conditions over Iran, Iraq and the neighbouring region”. The post urged passengers to “contact their respective airlines for the latest updates”. 

The Indian Embassy in Tehran cautioned citizens and persons of Indian origin to “remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements, follow the Embassy’s social??'media accounts & observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities".