DGCA Asks Airlines to Be Vigilant Over Iran, Iraq, Gulf of Oman

Earlier, a Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed, killing all onboard.

(Photo: PTI)

The DGCA on Wednesday, 8 January, asked Indian airline companies to remain vigilant and take all precautions in airspace over Iran, Iraq, Gulf of Oman and waters of Persian Gulf, hours after a Ukrainian International airlines carrying 180 passengers crashed near Tehran in Iran during the same day.

“We had held meetings with the concerned Airlines and have sensitised them to remain vigilant and take all precautions,” said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday morning.

US aviation regulator FAA has also asked all US airlines to stop operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman due to “events in Middle East.”

(Catch all the live updates on Iran here).

Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed on Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Tehran's main airport, killing all onboard, state TV reported.

The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital. The crash is suspected to have been caused by mechanical issues, the TV reported, without elaborating.

Meanwhile, the US aviation authority has prohibited its civil flight operators from using the airspace over Iraq, Iran and the Gulf, hours after Iran fired over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting at least two American bases.

Iran launched over a dozen ballistic missiles at 5:30 pm on 7 January targeting at least two bases where US military and coalition forces are stationed in Iraq.