US Aviation Sanctions Leave Iranians Facing Cancelled Flights and Soaring Costs

In late September, passengers could still fly nonstop from Tehran to Dubai in under three hours for a fare of $100 to $200. Less than a month later, that same journey can take up to 18 hours and cost more than $1,000.

The shift is the result of a fresh round of US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and the foreign companies that serve them. The restrictions tightened after a September 23 deadline requiring firms to stop servicing Iranian carriers, leading to the suspension of direct flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, along with several other countries.

The United States has sought to block routes into and out of Iran and, more broadly, to limit access to the country. In August, Washington unveiled what it calls Operation Economic Outcast, a pressure campaign aimed at the few remaining sectors of Iran's economy still connected to the global financial system.

Under that campaign, the US has sanctioned 27 airlines operating in Iran. Airports, fuel suppliers, ground-handling services and other foreign companies working with Iranian airlines face the threat of secondary sanctions that could cut them off from the US financial system.

The first sign of the new sanctions' impact came on September 24, when an Iranian flight from Tehran to Dushanbe was forced to turn back mid-journey and return to Tehran after being denied permission to enter Turkmen airspace.

The UAE, Azerbaijan and Georgia have also suspended services for Iranian flights. Flights between Iran and Muscat and Baghdad have been halted, while some services from Iran to neighbouring Turkey have been cancelled. Flights from Iran to Najaf, a popular Shia pilgrimage site in Iraq, were also briefly disrupted in late September.

All of this comes against the backdrop of a US-Israeli war against Iran that had already caused widespread disruption to the country's international routes. Most international carriers have yet to restore service to Iran.

Flights to countries such as China and Russia continue despite the new US measures, but restoring suspended routes would require negotiations with other governments.

Widespread disruption

More than three weeks after the new aviation sanctions took effect, routes to destinations including Moscow, Najaf, Istanbul, Yerevan and China's Guangzhou are still operating. But Iran's international flight network remains severely restricted.

The situation has caused major disruption for both people entering Iran and those leaving it.

Amir, 43, who lives in the US state of Illinois, described the difficulties his sick mother faced trying to reach Iran.

"My mother lives in the US, but her medical records are in Iran. For months, her medical appointments were postponed because of the war and the conditions it created," he said.

"A few weeks ago, we decided to take advantage of a relatively quiet period to make a trip to Iran so she could receive treatment. But then the new sanctions were announced, effectively disrupting flights to Iran.

"Now, to get to Iran, we have to fly to Istanbul and wait there for hours, or even days, depending on when there is a flight to Iran," Amir said, adding that buying tickets for an Iranian airline from abroad is also difficult because of international sanctions.

"A journey like that is extremely stressful for a woman travelling alone and who is also ill. It is completely unfair."

The sanctions have also taken a significant toll on Iran's domestic travel industry.

Majid Hosseini-Nejad, founder of Alibaba Travel Group, one of the country's largest online platforms for booking travel and accommodation, told Al Jazeera that the new sanctions had hit ticket sales.

"Because of the recent sanctions, about 20 percent of flights from Iran to international destinations have been suspended," Hosseini-Nejad said. "This has reduced revenue from flight-booking services. Airline revenues have also fallen significantly because of the sanctions."

On October 11, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that its economic department was continuing efforts to facilitate Iranian flights to destinations in other countries.

Flights to and from Iran still face prolonged delays, last-minute cancellations and, in some cases, even diversions back to their point of departure.

For now, Iranian passengers remain unsure when the situation might change.

Another passenger, also named Amir, an Iranian national who frequently flies between Iran and Oman for work, said: "Beyond the other financial losses caused by the sanctions, the cancellations make our lives even harder. Each trip between Muscat and Tehran now takes many times longer and costs many times more than before.

"It is unclear when the situation will change, or whether it will improve at all."