Iranian regulator orders airlines to halt ticket sales for Iraq flights

Iran's Civil Aviation Authority has directed all domestic airlines to immediately stop displaying and selling tickets for flights to Iraq, according to a directive reported by an aviation news outlet. The order applies to routes nationwide and singles out the Najaf sector, described as heavily travelled.

The regulator told airlines to refund affected passengers in full, without cancellation fees or penalties. It also instructed carriers to run rerouted domestic flights to airfields along the Iran-Iraq border so passengers stranded in hubs in both countries can transfer overland.

The Iranian directive came after Iraqi aviation authorities shut down direct traffic. Iraqi officials first halted Iranian arrivals and departures at Baghdad International Airport, then extended the ban to Najaf International Airport, the main gateway for religious pilgrims. Ground operations at Erbil and Sulaimaniyah have also restricted access, according to the account, effectively closing flight corridors between the two countries.

Restrictions extended beyond the two neighbours. The United Arab Emirates suspended all flights by Iranian carriers to and from its airports until further notice, a move affecting a transit hub used by Iranian travellers and causing abrupt cancellations at airports in Tehran and Dubai.

The report said regional civil aviation bodies and foreign governments imposed the restrictions in response to secondary sanctions threats aimed at ground handling services, refuelling contractors and ticketing vendors serving Iranian airlines. Aviation regulators in the region remain in talks, and schedules across the area are affected.