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Turkish Airlines to resume flights to Iran on June 30

A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft prepares to land at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye, accessed on June 28, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
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A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft prepares to land at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye, accessed on June 28, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
June 28, 2025 06:24 PM GMT+03:00

Türkiye’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, announced on Saturday that it will resume flights to Iran starting Monday, June 30, following a temporary suspension earlier this month due to security concerns.

Turkish Airlines' CEO Bilal Eksi confirmed the development in a social media post, stating, “We are restarting our Mashhad flights on Monday, June 30.”

The announcement marks the national carrier’s first scheduled flight to Iran since Türkiye suspended all routes on June 13 following Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

The decision to resume flights comes after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Iran and Israel, easing immediate security risks and allowing for a phased return of air travel.

A Turkish Airlines aircraft is seen parked at a gate at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye, on September 27, 2024. (Adobe Stock Photo)

Iran reopens airspace for overflights

Iran has reopened much of its airspace to international overflights following a ceasefire with Israel, though domestic and foreign passenger flights remain suspended in major parts of the country, an official said Saturday.

According to a statement from Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the eastern, central, and western portions of Iran’s airspace are now available to international overflight operations. However, flights to and from key airports — including Tehran’s Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini — are still not permitted. Travel remains suspended in the northern, southern, and western parts of the country for all domestic and international departures and arrivals.

Akhavan urged the public not to travel to airports in these restricted regions and advised passengers to follow official updates.

Planes grounded at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran, on August 8, 2017. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Planes grounded at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran, on August 8, 2017. (Adobe Stock Photo)

Gradual recovery following closure on June 13

Iran had fully closed its skies on June 13 in response to a wave of Israeli airstrikes, which triggered retaliatory missile launches by Iran. The conflict led to a complete suspension of air traffic across the country, including for overflights.

The reopening process began after a ceasefire was declared. On Wednesday, eastern Iran’s airspace was made available for civil aviation, followed by limited access to additional regions for transit flights.

Airports now operating include Mashhad in the east — one of the locations claimed to have been targeted during the hostilities — and Chabahar in the southeast. However, no announcement has been made regarding the reopening of Tehran or other major hubs.

Türkiye-Iran flights resume in limited scope

As part of the regional normalization, Türkiye has also partially restored flights with Iran. Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed on Friday that commercial flights between Istanbul and Mashhad have resumed after a two-week pause. He noted that airspace over western Iran remains closed and that efforts to bring back 11 Turkish aircraft stranded in Iran and Iraq are still ongoing

June 28, 2025 08:29 PM GMT+03:00
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