Three Turkish airlines have suspended flights to Iran
Turkey's Turkish Airlines, AJet, and Pegasus airlines suspended flights to and from Iran starting September 21. This occurred against the backdrop of new US sanctions taking effect against Iran's aviation sector.
Some flights of Turkish Airlines (THY), AJet, and Pegasus airlines to Iran have been removed from sale or canceled starting from September 21. This was reported by Middle East Eye after analyzing the airlines' booking systems.
It is noted that such measures were taken following the new US sanctions against Iran's aviation sector. The sanctions may also pose a risk for flights to Iran by aircraft that have US-manufactured spare parts.
THY has not yet issued an official statement on this matter. According to Middle East Eye, there are no long-term Iran flights in the systems of THY and AJet, while Pegasus has removed Iran routes from its booking system.
On THY's website, no corresponding flights from Tehran to certain Turkish cities are shown from September 2026 to February 2027. However, since booking systems are updated frequently, how long the flight cancellations will last may become clear after official statements from the airlines.
The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Iran's aviation sector on September 8. The Office of Foreign Assets Control added 36 individuals and entities to the sanctions list for supporting Iran's aviation sector. Among them are 27 airlines operating in Iran.
The US side emphasized that Iran's aviation network is being used to transport weapons, personnel, and sanctioned technologies. Washington also aims to limit Iran's access to US-manufactured aircraft, spare parts, and technologies through third countries.
According to a source interviewed by Middle East Eye, these restrictions do not apply only to US-manufactured aircraft such as Boeing. Since Airbus aircraft also contain US-manufactured spare parts and systems, there may be a risk of sanctions and export control for airlines flying them to Iran.
