Iranian passengers have been stranded at airports worldwide following several days of flight suspensions at Iranian airports. Major airlines, including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa, have stopped flying to Iran, leaving many travelers with few options to return home.
In the wake of these suspensions, ticket prices have surged dramatically. Flights from Paris to Tehran now cost as much as 100 million tomans ($1,560), while routes from Frankfurt to Tehran have reached 120 million tomans ($1,870). Flights from key hubs like Istanbul and Dubai to Tehran are currently unavailable.
Airlines such as Lufthansa had already ceased operations in Iran over a year ago due to concerns about the safety of Iranian airspace and rising regional tensions. However, the recent wave of flight cancellations follows the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the former leader of Hamas’ political office, and increasing tensions after Iran’s missile strikes on Israel earlier this month.
The initial surge in flights by Iranian airlines, such as Iran Air, following the cancellation of international flights, has now subsided, with flights being canceled after October 14.
Iran Air Cancels Flights to Europe
In response to new European sanctions against Iranian airlines, passengers reported the abrupt cancellation of several Iran Air flights to Europe. On October 14, travelers bound for Paris and Hamburg were notified via SMS from Imam Khomeini Airport that their flights had been canceled.
Airport officials and ticket vendors confirmed that these cancellations were directly linked to new European Union sanctions against Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saha Airlines. Other European destinations, including London and Cologne, were also affected.
The sanctions, imposed by the EU on October 14, target entities involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program, with reports suggesting that these missiles and other weapons were transferred to Russia for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite Iran’s denial of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, the new sanctions have had a significant impact on air travel, further affecting Iranian citizens amidst the Russia-Ukraine war.
