Due to the entry into force of US sanctions, Turkish airlines Turkish Airlines, as well as budget carriers AJet and Pegasus, have suspended flights to Iran, according to Middle East Eye.
According to data from the websites of Turkish Airlines and AJet, flights to Iran will not resume until March. As for Pegasus, it appears that all its routes to this country have been removed from the booking system indefinitely.
A representative of Turkish Airlines told Iran International that there are no guarantees of resuming flights even after March 2027.
A source familiar with the issue told MEE that the US Treasury Department's sanctions against Iran's aviation sector were so severe that Turkish carriers were forced to suspend their flights.
This source added that while restrictions on American-made aircraft, such as Boeing, were understood, new sanctions also prohibited the flight of Airbus aircraft because they contain components of American origin. Carriers had no other choice.
A Turkish official noted that as of Monday, Mahan Air was the only Iranian airline banned from flying to Turkey, while other Iranian airlines could still maintain connections between the two countries.
Despite successive rounds of US sanctions against Tehran, Turkey and Iran maintain stable relations and extensive energy and commercial ties. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan adopted a different approach after US President Donald Trump began increasing economic pressure on Iran.
Over the weekend, Turkey revoked the banking license of the Iranian bank Mellat, which had operated in the country for decades. Furthermore, the Turkish banking regulator took control of Golden Global Investment Bank last week after the US imposed sanctions on the institution for alleged transfers of funds to the Iranian government.
