Turkish authorities have seized a Caspian Airlines Boeing 737 at Istanbul Airport over an unpaid €3 million debt to aviation services firm ACM Temsil Gözetim, forcing passengers to disembark. While Turkey has not formally enforced new US secondary sanctions targeting Iranian aviation, the physical grounding highlights the severe commercial and financial pressures facing Iranian carriers. Meanwhile, regional flight suspensions have cut Iranian air traffic in half, though Iraq has resumed some pilgrimage flights under a potential US waiver.
Seizure of Caspian Airlines plane
- ▪The seizure order against Caspian Airlines was executed on behalf of the creditor ACM Temsil Gözetim, an aviation representation and supervision company, for unpaid Istanbul airport services.
- ▪Turkish authorities seized a Caspian Airlines Boeing 737 (EP-KPB) at Istanbul Airport on September 28, 2026, on a court-issued order over an unpaid debt of approximately 3 million euros as it prepared to depart for Tehran with passengers.
- ▪Caspian Airlines stated that the Istanbul-to-Tehran flight faced temporary operational restrictions due to an administrative issue in Turkey and that the airline had taken administrative measures to resolve the €3 million debt for Istanbul airport services
Pressures on Iranian aviation
- ▪Iranian carriers face chronic difficulties maintaining fleets and meeting foreign financial obligations due to decades of US sanctions restricting access to spare parts, maintenance, and international financing.
- ▪The war between the United States and Iran that began in February 2026 has compounded pressures on Iranian aviation, repeatedly disrupting Iranian airspace and curtailing international routes.
New US sanctions on Iranian aviation
- ▪Turkey has not formally complied with or enforced the new US secondary sanctions announced on 8 September 2026 against Iranian airlines, allowing carriers like Iran Air to continue regular flights between the two countries
- ▪US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that foreign entities, including airports and ground handlers, continuing to service Iranian carriers risk being cut off from the US dollar financial system.
- ▪Sweeping US secondary sanctions targeting 27 Iranian airlines and nine associated service providers under Operation Economic Outcast took effect on September 23, 2026.
Suspension of flights to Iran
- ▪Following the US sanctions announced on 8 September 2026, countries including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Oman suspended flights to and from Iran
- ▪Iran's private carrier Mahan Air suspended its flights to Turkey and Oman, with the Turkish suspension occurring at the request of Ankara.
- ▪Tehran has filed formal complaints regarding the flight restrictions with the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and the International Court of Justice.
- ▪Daily international flights at Tehran's main airport fell from between 80 and 90 flights to approximately 41 flights by September 28, 2026, following the implementation of the new US sanctions on Iran's aviation sector under Operation Economic Outcast
Iraqi Airways flights to Iran
- ▪The US Treasury Department is considering a limited, one-month waiver to allow Iraqi Airways to fly pilgrims between Iran and the Shiite holy city of Najaf.
- ▪Iraqi Airways resumed flights between Najaf International Airport and Iranian airports on September 28, 2026, following intensive efforts by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Debatable claims
- ▪US secondary sanctions on Iranian aviation do more harm than good
- ▪US sanctions are the primary cause of Iranian airlines' financial insolvency
- ▪Seizing a commercial aircraft with passengers on board goes too far to collect debt
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