Major airlines from Turkey, including Turkish Airlines (THY), AJet and Pegasus, cancelled flights to Iranian cities due to intensifying mass protests in Iran over the rising cost of living. The demonstrations, which began in late December, have rocked the country, leaving at least 45 people dead as the Iranian authorities have ordered severe reprisals against protesters.
The unrest, which began on 28 December in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar when traders started a protest over the historic devaluation of the Iranian rial, has spread across the country for 13 consecutive days, sparking international concern and also risks to aviation. For this reason, Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus, which operate flights between Turkey and Iran, have announced the cancellation of their flights to Iran.
Turkish Airlines reported in recent hours that a total of 17 flights scheduled for 9 and 10 January to Tehran, Tabriz and Mashhad were cancelled due to security concerns. Passengers can check the status of their flights on this official website, the company said.
Turkish passenger planes turned around after entering Iranian airspace
The Turkish state airline had previously suspended two flights to Tehran and one to Tabriz. Also, as reported by the Flight Radar website, a Turkish Airlines plane bound for Shiraz and a Pegasus flight to Mashhad turned around after entering Iranian airspace on Thursday night, according to Turkish media.
AJet also announced the cancellation of at least six flights scheduled to Tehran on 9 and 10 January, while Pegasus also confirmed the cancellation of its connections to cities in Iran. In Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport systems, all flights to Iran were listed as “cancelled”.
Iran is facing a severe economic crisis after years of sanctions and the aftermath of last June’s war with Israel. The plummeting value of the Iranian rial, which has fallen to historic lows, coupled with inflation of over 40%, economic mismanagement and corruption, have exacerbated the crisis and drastically reduced the purchasing power of the population. The protests, which have spread across the country’s 31 provinces and include shouting slogans such as “death to the dictator” and setting fire to official buildings, are the most intense since the 2022 demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini, in which at least 550 people died and some 20,000 were arrested.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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