Newsletters
Iran-based Caspian Airlines' passenger aircraft was seized at Istanbul Airport after Turkish aviation services company ACM Temsil Gozetim launched legal proceedings over an outstanding debt of about €3 million ($3.4 million).
The aircraft was preparing to fly to Iran when lawyers representing the Turkish company and enforcement officers arrived at the airport following a court decision. The plane had already completed preparations and boarded passengers when the enforcement officers carried out the action.
Enforcement officers ordered passengers to disembark upon arrival. Officers escorted them back to the terminal while the aircraft remained at Istanbul Airport under the seizure order.
Caspian Airlines is an Iranian carrier established in 1993 and headquartered in Tehran. It operates domestic services within Iran and international flights, including to Türkiye.
The aircraft seized in Istanbul, EP-KPB, is a Boeing 737-500. Fleet records show that the aircraft joined Caspian Airlines in January 2020.
The airline continues to operate international services despite facing extensive restrictions linked to U.S. sanctions. Current route data shows the carrier serving international destinations alongside its domestic Iranian network.
Although Caspian Airlines was not among the 27 Iranian airlines newly designated by the U.S. Treasury in September 2026, the carrier has been under U.S. sanctions since 2014.
On Sept. 8, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines that had not previously been designated, targeting carriers it said operated in Iran’s aviation sector. The action came under Washington’s broader Operation Economic Outcast, which Treasury launched in August.
Following the sanctions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the measures would effectively shut down Iranian airlines’ international operations from Sept. 23 by targeting companies that continued to provide services to them.
Türkiye has remained an important international destination for Iranian airlines even as the new restrictions have disrupted regional routes. Iranian carriers continued operating flights to Istanbul after the Sept. 23 deadline, while Iran Air also confirmed that its Istanbul services remained scheduled at the time.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
