Air India diverts 11 flights, returns 5 to origin after closure of Iranian airspace
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 13th June 2025
On Friday, Air India redirected 11 flights and recalled five to their departure points following Iran’s decision to shut its airspace due to an Israeli attack on its nuclear infrastructure. The Iranian airspace is currently entirely vacant, as reported by the flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.
One of the disrupted flights was an Air India service from Mumbai to London, which needed to turn back mid-air. AI129 took off from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday morning but reversed course midway and went back to Mumbai, as per live data from Flightradar24.
CSMIA authorities confirmed the diversion. “This was undertaken as a precaution because of the Iranian airspace closure,” a CSMIA spokesperson said. Air India said it is diverting flights and returning some to origin “due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers”.
Three flights are being rerouted to Jeddah and Vienna each, two to Sharjah and Frankfurt, and one to Mumbai. Two additional flights are heading back to Mumbai and three are going to Delhi.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimize it, including providing accommodation for passengers. Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling is also being offered to guests who opt for it. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations,” Air India said.
Explosions shook Tehran following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of ‘Operation Rising Lion’, asserting the strike on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program—particularly its primary enrichment site in Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency has verified harm to Iran’s nuclear facilities. As tensions rose, Indian embassies in Iran and Israel released warnings advising Indian citizens to refrain from “unnecessary travel” and stay alert.
