NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from London to New Delhi had just entered Iranian airspace when Israel launched a wave of missile strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear sites.The flight was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to an AFP report.The close call was one of several disruptions on Friday as Air India diverted or turned back at least 16 international flights mid-air due to the sudden escalation and subsequent closure of Iranian airspace. Among those affected were services between India and cities like London, Toronto, and New York.Aircraft tracking site Flight Aware showed that two other Air India flights — from Delhi to Vienna and Mumbai to London — were nearing Iranian airspace and turned back to their origin airports shortly after the strikes began.In a statement, Air India said: “Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimise it.”The airline is offering full refunds or complimentary rescheduling to affected passengers and is arranging accommodation where necessary.The Indian Embassy in Iran also issued an advisory urging Indian nationals and people of Indian origin to stay alert and avoid non-essential travel, as tensions surged following Israel’s precision strikes targeting Iranian defence infrastructure.Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria temporarily shut down their airspace, leading to widespread cancellations and rerouting of global flights to and from the Middle East. Global airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran as air traffic over the region thinned out overnight.Israel said the strikes were a direct response to the growing threat from Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities. Iran retaliated by launching a wave of drones toward Israeli territory.
