Azerbaijan’s civil aviation authority suspended flights operated by Iranian airlines to the country effective September 22, citing U.S. sanctions. It was the most significant official measure so far after U.S. licenses covering certain transactions involving Iran’s aviation sector expired at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 23.
The expired licenses covered transactions related to flying over Iranian airspace, refueling and emergency repairs. The measures increase the risks of providing services to Iranian carriers, but do not amount to a direct international order to close airports to all Iranian airlines.
Baghdad halts services as Najaf continues to receive flights
The head of Imam Khomeini Airport City said Baghdad airport had stopped providing services to Iranian airlines, without any Iraqi announcement of an airspace closure or a blanket ban on Iranian aircraft. Flights to Najaf, by contrast, continue without interruption, leaving it as an available air gateway for Iranian travelers to Iraq.
Turkey and China flights continue through other carriers
The head of Imam Khomeini Airport City said Mahan Air alone faces restrictions on flights to Turkey, while other Iranian airlines continue operating flights to Istanbul, Ankara, Gazipaşa, Izmir and other Turkish cities. He added that flights to China and Najaf were operating according to schedule, and that Qeshm Air, Taban, Sepehran and Varesh, among others, were carrying passengers to neighboring countries and other destinations.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization is continuing talks with aviation authorities in other countries to ease restrictions on Iranian airlines, the same official said.
Unclear status in Georgia and Muscat
Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency said it was committed to applying international sanctions mechanisms to companies included on the new U.S. list that operate flights between Iran and Georgia, but it did not specify when the measures would take effect or announce an actual suspension of flights.
Mahan Air had suspended the Tehran-Muscat route, as well as its Tehran-Istanbul and Tehran-Ankara flights, before the September 23 deadline, according to a notice it sent to travel agencies. The aviation authorities in Oman and Turkey have issued no official explanation linking the suspension of the Muscat route or the Turkish restrictions to U.S. pressure.
Mahan Air has been subject to a special status under U.S. sanctions since the U.S. Treasury Department designated it in 2011, alleging that it provided support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force. That reflects the U.S. position on the airline and does not establish Oman’s or Turkey’s reasons for dealing with it.
Azerbaijani authorities asked passengers affected by the flight suspension to contact the airlines or ticket outlets to obtain refunds or rebook their flights.
