Iraqi Airways resumes flights to Iran after months-long suspension
Iraqi Airways resumed direct flights to Iran on Thursday after a months-long suspension triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February, Iraq’s state news agency INA reported.
The airline will operate regular daily flights from Najaf International Airport to Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan, the Iraqi national carrier said, adding that the resumption followed the completion of required legal and technical procedures, ISNA reported.
The airline said the restart was made possible through the efforts of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Transport Minister Wahab al-Hassani. The renewed services are intended to facilitate passenger travel and expand regional air links, particularly for religious pilgrimages, medical treatment and education.
According to Anadolu Agency, Iraqi Airways suspended flights to Iran in early March as a precaution after the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28. Iraq also closed its airspace as military tensions escalated across the region.
Flights on the Najaf-Tehran-Najaf route resumed on Thursday after a suspension of about eight months, while the return of the Iraqi carrier marks another step toward restoring international air services to Iran.
Iran's Civil Aviation Organization chief said in recent weeks that flights to many destinations previously served by Iranian airlines would resume following consultations.
Iraq had also closed Baghdad and Najaf airports to Iranian airlines following a new round of US sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector. Iraq joined several countries, including the UAE, in enforcing restrictions on Iranian airlines after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iranian airlines would be "shut down" from September 16.
Iraq secured a waiver from US sanctions after its government held talks with Washington to seek an exemption from restrictions on Iran's aviation sector.
Javad Salehi Artimani, deputy for operations at Imam Khomeini International Airport City, told ISNA that flights to and from Najaf had been suspended on September 25 because of US sanctions. Iranian airlines resumed flights to Najaf on October 4 following consultations, and Iraqi Airways returned to Iran on Thursday, he said.
Iraqi Airways plans to operate seven weekly flights on the Najaf-Tehran-Najaf route, Salehi Artimani said, adding that the schedule would bring the number of daily aircraft movements to and from Najaf to more than 10.
The airport currently serves 30 destinations, he said, describing Iraqi Airways' return as a step toward the gradual restoration and expansion of international flights.
"Consultations are underway in this regard, and we will soon see other airlines return to the country," he said.