New Delhi, June 22: With the United States aviation regulator barred American carriers from the area until further notice, India - along with major international airways firm - have decided to avoid the affected part of Iranian Airspace to ensure safe travel for the passengers on Saturday. This is being done as a precautionary measure by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Informing about the latest development, the apex Indian airliner regulatory body - DGCA - said, "All Indian operators in consultation with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have decided to avoid the affected part of Iranian Airspace to ensure safe travel for the passengers. They will re-route flights suitably." Donald Trump Tweets 'Iran Made A Very Big Mistake' After Tehran Shot Down US Drone

Following the emerging crisis between the United States and Iran, key international players in the airline sector have either cancelled their flights - flying over Iranian aerospace - or have diverted their routes. One of the airliners is Etihad Airways.

The Etihad Airways in a statement had said, "Etihad Airways has subsequently suspended operations through Iranian airspace over the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and will use alternative flight paths on a number of routes to and from Abu Dhabi until further notice."

Adding more, it said, as news agency ANI quotes, "Following the decision yesterday of the US Federal Aviation Administration to restrict US airline operations in Iranian-controlled airspace, Etihad Airways consulted closely with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and other UAE airlines to evaluate the US action."

It is to be known that US's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday had issued an emergency order after Iran shot down a high-altitude US military drone with a surface-to-air missile. This has sparked concerns about a serious threat to the safety of commercial airlines. US, Iran Not Ready for Deal: Trump

Following the incident, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa, KLM of the Netherlands, Australia's Qantas Airways Limited, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines Limited, Malaysia Airlines and Emirates Airlines all said they were re-routing flights to avoid the area.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2019 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).