Airlines suspend flights to Iran amid protests and security concerns.

Many international airlines have suspended or cancelled flights to Iran due to escalating protests and heightened security measures throughout the country. The delays started late last week and are still going on as the turmoil doesn’t seem to be abating. Services to Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran have been severely hampered by flight cancellations, while Bandar Abbas International Airport, Mashhad International Airport, and Shiraz International Airport have also been affected. Several Gulf and European carriers started discontinuing routes on Friday, according to FlightAware. European airlines including Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines were the next to cancel flights, after airlines like Emirates, flydubai, and Qatar Airways were among the first.

As a result of widespread operational caution, aeroplane Radar currently shows no commercial aeroplane activity within Iranian airspace. Airlines are apparently worried about the worsening situation on the ground, even though there hasn’t been a formal proclamation that Iranian airspace is dangerous.

Iranian cities have seen protracted rallies, violent incidents, and property destruction in addition to a strict security reaction that has received criticism from around the world. Since the uprising started on December 28, which was primarily sparked by economic complaints, human rights organisations estimate that dozens of people, including kids, have died. Widespread communication limitations have made matters worse; authorities have been enforcing nearly complete internet and cellphone outages since January 8, which has increased operational and safety risks for carriers.

Airlines located in the UAE have been severely impacted. On January 9, Flydubai cancelled all of its scheduled flights to Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Bandar Abbas, among other Iranian cities. Etihad Airways has also ceased flights to Iran, and Emirates has cancelled several services to Tehran and other locations. Qatar Airways also halted flights between Tehran and Doha. Several flights to Iranian cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan, and Shiraz, were cancelled or suspended by Turkish Airlines and its low-cost subsidiaries, AJet and Pegasus Airlines. Austrian Airlines said it is keeping a careful eye on developments and cancelled its Vienna Tehran flight that was scheduled for January 9. Lufthansa is revaluating plans to restart operations later this month after previously suspending its Tehran route owing to regional security concerns. Iran’s domestic air services are still in operation.

However, a number of active Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) indicate increased defensive measures in various regions of the country, and Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation has enforced airspace restrictions close to important places. In light of the changing security landscape, a number of governments have also released recommendations alerting airlines to increased operational risks.