Iraq To Resume Flights To Iran In October
Iraqi Airways says it will resume flights between Iraq and Iran next month, while a Turkish court has ordered the seizure of an Iranian passenger aircraft at Istanbul International Airport over accumulated service debts.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraqi Airways announced Tuesday, that it will resume flights to Iran in October, following efforts to secure the necessary authorization and complete operational preparations, while an Iranian passenger aircraft belonging to Caspian Airlines was seized at Istanbul International Airport under a Turkish court order.
The two developments come as air links involving Iran face continued disruption, with Iranian airlines having suspended flights to Iraq since Sept. 23 and Iraqi Airways having halted its flights to Iran since early March as a precautionary measure amid military tensions.
Iraqi Airways said the resumption of flights comes within the framework of the government’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and provide air transportation links.
The company said the decision followed direct instructions from the Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi and close follow-up by Transport Minister Wahab Hassan. Those efforts resulted in the successful acquisition of permission to operate flights to Iran.
Iraqi Airways teams are working to prepare aircraft and complete the necessary requirements, with the aim of launching flights from Najaf International Airport to Iran and in the opposite direction during October.
The airline said flights will resume only after all organizational and technical requirements have been completed, with the measures intended to ensure that operations comply with approved guidelines.
Iraqi Airways had suspended flights to Iran in early March as a precautionary measure aimed at protecting the safety of flights and passengers amid military tensions.
Meanwhile, a Turkish court ordered the seizure of an Iranian passenger aircraft belonging to Caspian Airlines at Istanbul International Airport, with all passengers ordered to disembark.
Turkish media reported that the seizure followed a complaint by the Istanbul Airport administration over unpaid fees for services provided to the airline’s aircraft. The accumulated debt was reported at €3 million.
The court order was implemented while passengers were still aboard the aircraft and preparations were underway for its flight to Iran. Following the order, the aircraft was prevented from departing and all passengers were required to disembark.
Iranian media reported that the seized aircraft was a Boeing 737 and that the flight was canceled over a debt of $3 million.
Majid Ikhwan, a spokesman for Iran’s Caspian Airlines, told Iran’s Fars News Agency that the company had initiated all necessary legal and administrative procedures in Türkiye to resolve the issue and resume its flights as soon as possible.