Global
Amidst the ongoing restrictions and economic pressures imposed on the aviation sector in the Islamic Republic of Iran, new developments have emerged regarding external air traffic. Official authorities revealed they have received positive indicators paving the way for the resumption of flights to both the Sultanate of Oman and Azerbaijan, adding these two destinations to the recent exemptions from the US ban on domestic airlines. This development follows a similar step witnessed on Sunday, when Iranian airlines resumed flights toward Najaf Airport in southern Iraq, after the Iraqi capital obtained a special sanctions waiver from Washington allowing such flights to the city. In the same context, the head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization made statements shedding light on the extent of losses suffered by the sector due to recent conflicts, explaining that the aircraft fleet sustained damage affecting about one hundred planes, while fewer than ten planes were completely destroyed, in addition to damage sustained by twenty-seven airports across the country. Despite these severe challenges, the official noted that there are one hundred fifty aircraft currently in operational service, clarifying that this figure does not necessarily reflect the number of planes airborne at the present moment, while announcing ambitious plans aimed at increasing the number of operating aircraft in the fleet to two hundred over the next six months. It is worth recalling that Washington had set a deadline ending on September 23, demanding foreign companies providing services and support to the Iranian aviation sector to fully comply with the ban decisions, which included an immediate halt to fueling Iranian planes, while threatening harsh sanctions involving the blacklisting of non-compliant companies and isolating them from global dollar financial transactions.
