Fresh US sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry have added to flight disruption, with travelers facing short-notice cancellations on regional routes and some taking long overland journeys through Turkey; seats on remaining flights are filling quickly.
The UAE, Georgia and Azerbaijan officially confirmed suspensions. A Tehran travel agent told AFP that flights to Baghdad, Muscat and Qatar had also halted. Routes to Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Malaysia and Thailand remained available.
Mitra, who spoke under a pseudonym, and her brother had planned to fly to Paris via Istanbul. She told AFP they would instead fly to Tabriz for about $75, travel by road for several hours to the Turkish border and stay in Van while waiting; she feared the land crossing could close.
