NEW JERSEY (NEWARK AIRPORT): The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued an emergency order prohibiting U.S. operators from flying in an over-water area of Tehran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman because of heightened tensions.
The order came hours after United Airlines suspended flights between New Jersey’s Newark airport and the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, which fly through Iranian airspace, following a safety review after Iran shot down a high-altitude U.S. surveillance drone.
The downing of the unarmed Global Hawk aircraft, which can fly at up to 60,000 ft (18,300 m), was the latest of a series of incidents in the Gulf region.
In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine, killing all 298 on board, prompting carriers to take more steps to uncover threats to their planes. The U.S. prohibition does not apply to airlines from other countries. (Agencies)
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