US Federal Aviation Prohibits All American Operators from Flying over Iranian Airspace

By Staff, Agencies 

The US aviation agency has barred all civil aircraft from flying in Iranian airspace above the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, noting that “numerous” planes were in the area when a US drone was shut down.

The US Federal Aviation Administration [FAA)] claims the nearest civil aircraft was flying some 45 nautical miles from the US Navy high-altitude drone.

The agency said it was worried by the ongoing tensions and increased military activity in an area with heavy civil aviation traffic. 

The ban will mostly affect flights going from North America to Asia eastwards.

Earlier on Thursday, major US carrier United Airlines cancelled all flights from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport [BOM], India’s primary international airport in Mumbai. The Chicago-based company cited “a thorough safety and security review of our India service through Iranian airspace.”