Turkiye will suspend flights by Iranian carrier Mahan Air from September 21 following US sanctions against Turkish companies providing services to the airline.
Axar.az reports, citing Middle East Eye, that the suspension will apply to all Mahan Air flights to and from Iran. The airline operated frequent services between Turkiye and Iran, including at least three daily flights between Istanbul and Tehran.
The US Treasury Department earlier this month imposed sanctions on Iranian civilian airlines, ground-services providers, cargo companies and aircraft-parts suppliers. Three Turkiye-based companies — S Sistem, Mes Cargo and Sky Phoenix — were sanctioned for providing services to Mahan Air.
A Turkish official said the sanctions demonstrated that the risks associated with Mahan Air were directly affecting its service network in Turkiye.
Other Turkish officials stressed that the decision does not constitute a general ban on Iranian airlines. Ankara will continue assessing other Iranian carriers based on bilateral aviation agreements with Tehran, flight safety concerns and the risk of further US sanctions.
Mahan Air confirmed on Friday that it would stop flights to and from Turkiye from September 21. The airline also said it would suspend services to Oman and Georgia.