Major airlines have canceled dozens of flights to and from Iranian cities as a result of widespread protests throughout Iran, fueled by economic hardship.
The demonstrations, which started in late December in response to the steep devaluation of the Iranian rial and growing prices, have grown into a more widespread national movement. Due to operational and safety concerns, authorities have responded with a widespread internet outage and communication blackout in numerous areas, which has complicated logistics and forced aircraft to halt operations.
On Friday, Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced it was canceling 17 scheduled flights to Iranian cities Tehran, Tabriz, and Mashhad for Friday and Saturday, citing regional developments in Iran. Passengers were advised to check flight statuses on the airline's website.
AJet, a Turkish low-cost carrier, also cancelled six Tehran flights over the same two days.
From the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, many flights to Iran have also been canceled. According to data from Dubai Airports, at least 17 flights operated by Emirates and flydubai to Tehran were suspended on Friday.
Additionally, flights to the Iranian cities of Bandar Abbas, Lar, Mashhad, and Shiraz were canceled on Friday. All but two Emirates and flydubai flights are suspended on Saturday's departure schedule.
Azerbaijan Airlines also announced the cancellation of a Friday flight from the capital Baku to Tehran. A statement from the airline said that further information on the resumption of flights on this route will be shared subsequently, and passengers will be informed of developments immediately.
The statement also noted that the safety of flights and passengers is the top priority of Azerbaijan Airlines.
Internet outages and communication blackouts in several regions of the nation have made the disruptions worse, affecting passenger information flows and flight coordination.
