United Airlines suspends Newark-Mumbai flights over Iran airspace concerns

(Reuters) - United Airlines said it had suspended flights from Newark to Mumbai following a safety review after Iran shot down a high-altitude U.S. surveillance drone.

The shoot down of the unarmed Global Hawk aircraft, which can fly at up to 60,000 feet (18,300 m), was the latest of a series of incidents in the Gulf region, a critical artery for global oil supplies, that included explosive strikes on six oil tankers.

“Given current events in Iran, we have conducted a thorough safety and security review of our India service through Iranian airspace and decided to suspend our service,” United said on its website.

Last month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged airlines to exercise caution in flying over Iran and nearby areas in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman due to heightened military activities and increased political tension.

“Although Iran likely has no intention to target civil aircraft, the presence of multiple long-range, advanced anti-aircraft capable weapons in a tense environment poses a possible risk of miscalculation or misidentification, especially during periods of heightened political tension and rhetoric,” it said.

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.