KEY POINTS
• Iraqi Airways has resumed direct flights between Iraq and Iran after services were suspended on Sept. 25.
• The airline’s first resumed service operated from Najaf International Airport to Tehran on Thursday.
• Daily flights will connect Najaf with Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan.
MAIN STORY
Iraqi Airways has resumed direct flights between Iraq and Iran, with its first service after a suspension operating from Najaf International Airport to Tehran on Thursday.
The national carrier said the new schedule would include daily flights from Najaf to three Iranian cities, Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan.
The airline said the services resumed after it completed the technical and regulatory requirements necessary to restart the routes.
The development follows the return of direct air services between the two countries on Sunday, when Najaf International Airport received a flight operated by Iran’s Caspian Airlines.
The flights are operating under an official agreement between Baghdad and Washington that provides specific exemptions for the routes.
Najaf International Airport suspended flights to and from Iran on Sept. 25 following sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department on Iran’s aviation sector.
The return of Iraqi Airways services brings back scheduled connections between Najaf and major Iranian cities after the suspension.
THE ISSUES
- The resumed Iraqi Airways schedule connects Najaf with Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan, giving passengers direct air links between the Iraqi city and three major Iranian destinations.
- The restart followed the completion of technical and regulatory requirements by Iraqi Airways, while the affected routes operate under specific exemptions provided through an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.
- The development follows the return of Iranian airline operations to Najaf on Sunday, when Caspian Airlines operated a flight to the airport.
- The resumption comes after Najaf International Airport halted flights to and from Iran on Sept. 25 following US Treasury sanctions affecting Iran’s aviation sector.
WHAT’S NEXT
Iraqi Airways is scheduled to operate daily flights from Najaf to Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan following the resumption of the routes.
BOTTOM LINE
Iraqi Airways has resumed direct services between Najaf and three Iranian cities after flights were suspended in September. The restart follows the completion of technical and regulatory requirements and the application of specific exemptions covering the routes.
