Iraq Resumes Direct Flights to Iran as Weekly Routes Expand
Iraqi Airways has resumed direct services to Iran, with weekly flights from Baghdad and Najaf to Tehran set to reach 18 as additional routes are restored.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Direct air links between Iraq and Iran are gradually returning after regional airspace closures halted flights, with Iraqi Airways resuming services and expanding its weekly schedule to several Iranian cities.
The move follows the resumption of direct Iraqi Airways flights to the Islamic Republic of Iran after services between the two countries were suspended due to the closure of regional airspace.
According to a statement issued Thursday, by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, the first Iraqi Airways flight landed at Sardar-e Jangal International Airport in Rasht, northern Iran, after receiving official approval. The airline is scheduled to operate nine weekly flights to the city.
Iraqi Airways is also set to resume flights to Tehran next week. This will bring the total number of weekly flights from Baghdad and Najaf to Tehran to 18.
The airline is also expected to add two more weekly flights to Mashhad under next week’s schedule.
Separately, Flydubai and Arabia Airlines have resumed using Iranian airspace for their aircraft after receiving approval from Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization.
The organization’s Public Relations Office said the decision followed approvals and coordination involving the supervision office for air operations and Iran’s air traffic control authorities.
It added that the decision came after continued talks and consultations with the Sultanate of Oman, aimed at facilitating and developing foreign aviation traffic through Iranian airspace. Flydubai was also granted a seasonal permit to use Iran’s airspace.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization stressed that maintaining the safety of the country’s airspace remains a priority, adding that it continues to take the necessary measures and coordinate with relevant authorities to facilitate the arrival and transit of foreign flights.
All flights to Iran were suspended following the US-Iran war and the wider instability in the Middle East, causing significant losses for airlines.
With the end of the war, however, conditions have gradually begun moving toward normality, allowing flights to resume.