JOIN USDrone downing hits global flights
Major airlines from around the world on Friday began rerouting their flights to avoid areas around the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s shooting down of a US military surveillance drone there, as America warned commercial airliners could be mistakenly attacked.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned of a “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” in the region after an Iranian surface-to-air missile on Thursday brought down a US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk, an unmanned aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 737 jetliner and costing over $100 million.
The US said it made plans for limited strikes on Iran in response, but called them off.
Australia’s Qantas, British Airways, Dutch carrier KLM, Emirates, Germany’s Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines said they will avoid the region.
In India, the Director General of Civil Aviation hasn’t issued any advisory to carriers flying on international routes. Major carriers such as Air India and IndiGo have not taken any decision in this regard, DHNS adds from New Delhi. “IndiGo is operating flights as normal until specific instructions from authorities. We have not received any advisory as yet,” IndiGo said.
An NDTV report said the Indian Navy is set to embark officers and sailors on board Indian crude oil carriers which enter and exit the Persian Gulf.
Iran said it refrained from shooting down a US plane with 35 on board that was accompanying the downed drone.