Several airlines have canceled flights to Iran over the weekend as the country’s security situation worsens. Major carriers, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, have suspended service as protests continue to rage across Iran.

Iranian airlines — including Iran Air, Mahan Air and Qeshm Air — have maintained uninterrupted service despite the widespread civil unrest and communications blackout, while flight tracking data shows commercial aircraft avoiding Iranian airspace.

Airlines Halt Iran Flights Amid Protests

With protests and security crackdowns across Iran showing no sign of letting up, multiple airlines have canceled flights to the country since Friday. While the majority of canceled services are to Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA), other impacted airports include Bandar Abbas (BND), Mashhad (MHD) and Shiraz (SYZ). Data from FlightAware shows that Gulf carriers Emirates, flydubai and Qatar Airways began canceling flights on Friday, followed by European carriers Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

While there is no indication that Iranian airspace is unsafe at this moment, data from Flightradar24 shows no commercial flight activity within the country. The primary security concern for airlines would be the situation on the ground, as cities across the country have seen numerous outbreaks of violence and destruction. Iranian security forces have drawn condemnation for their response, with hundreds of protesters reported killed in the last few days alone.

Conflict Overflight Risks

On January 9, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization issued a warning to airlines regarding the declining safety of its airspace. Although the situation is not as threatening to commercial aircraft as in other regions — such as around Venezuela recently or in proximity to the Russia-Ukraine conflict — there is still heightened Iranian military aircraft and drone activity in the skies, posing a credible degree of risk to commercial flights.

Iranian airspace has been temporarily closed on multiple occasions over the past few years, primarily due to safety risks related to its conflict with Israel. Last summer, Iran and Israel exchanged a series of missile strikes, which forced the closure of Iranian airspace, while the FAA banned US airlines from overflying Iran in the wake of a January 2020 missile strike on US bases in Iraq.

Concerns regarding commercial aircraft flying over active conflict zones are well-placed, with events like Iran’s shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020 still fresh in the memory. On that occasion, Iranian forces mistook the departing Boeing 737-800 as a possible US military aircraft, firing two missiles just three minutes after the 737 had taken off from Tehran, tragically killing all 176 onboard.

How Long Will Flight Suspension Remain?

As it stands, most airlines that have chosen to cancel flights have scrapped services until Sunday, but plan to return to normal by next week. A handful of airlines are planning to resume service before Monday, with Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai restoring some services already. Although Iran is not a major market for long-haul international services, it has frequent and extensive connectivity with Gulf airlines, which serve several of the country’s airports.

Despite a widespread internet and communications blackout across Iran, its airports and air traffic control network remain functional. Iranian airlines have not been materially impacted so far, continuing to operate domestic flights and services to international destinations like Dubai. This includes Iran Air and Mahan Air, which are the two largest airlines in the country.

Airlines will be closely monitoring the developing security situation, which has seen scores of Iranians take to the streets to demonstrate against the current regime and the rising cost of living. Passengers are advised to exercise caution when booking flights to Iran and maintain flexible travel plans. Airlines are liable to cancel or rebook flights at short notice, and there are likely to be enhanced security procedures at Iranian airports.