United Airlines cancels Mumbai to Newark flights

Following the shooting down of an American drone over Iranian airspace, the US aviation administration barred all its airlines from flying over that area

United Airlines on Friday announced an indefinite cancellation of its Mumbai-Newark flight after Iran confirmed shooting down a high-security US surveillance drone over its airspace a day earlier.

In a statement released on Friday, United Airlines said it has conducted a “thorough safety and security review of our India service through Iranian airspace.”

Following the incident, the US aviation administration barred all its airlines from flying over Iranian airspace.

In a statement released on Friday, United Airlines said it has conducted a “thorough safety and security review of our India service through Iranian airspace and decided to suspend our service between New York/Newark and India (Mumbai) beginning this evening. UA 48 (New York/Newark – Mumbai) has been cancelled.”

The Chicago-based airline, however, has been adjusting passengers flying onboard UA 9239(Mumbai – New York/Newark) and are booking them on other flights. The airline’s spokesperson said that customers travelling on these flights will be re-routed on a different path.

Andheri resident Aditya Rajmane, who is studying an MA course in Albany (New York), had booked his tickets on United Airlines for Wednesday night. He was instead accommodated on an Air India flight to London on Thursday and then flown to Newark on United Airlines UA 941. However, he said he could not board his connecting flight to Albany owing to inclement weather in Newark.

Air India, which had a direct Mumbai-New York (JFK) flight, has suspended the service. The airline flies to directly to Newark from Delhi. The airline spokesperson, however, said, “All our flights to the US are flying as per schedule.”