New Delhi, January 8: Amidst tensions within the Iranian airspace flights of Air India and Air India Express overflying Iran will be temporarily rerouted, an official said on Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar asserted that the safety of passengers and crew members comes first.  Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Says 'Slap in Face' Delivered to US as Missile Strikes in Iraq Leave '80 US Soldiers Dead'.

"In light of tensions within the Iranian airspace a decision to temporarily reroute flights of Air India and Air India Express overflying Iran has been taken. This may lead to an increase in flying time by approximately 20 minutes for flights from Delhi and 30 to 40 minutes for flights from Mumbai. The situation is being closely monitored," Kumar said.

The development came after Iran targeted the Al Assad airbase and another one in Erbil in Iraq that house American troops. The missile attacks also came hours after the funeral of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, whose killing in a US drone strike has intensified tensions in the region.

Meanwhile, the Indian government issued a travel advisory for its nationals, advising them to avoid "all non-essential travel" to the Middle East country. The government said that Indian Embassy in Baghdad and Indian consulate in Erbil will continue to function normally to provide all services to Indians residing in Iraq.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that it was restricting all civilian US aircraft from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.