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Transport Minister: Two Turkish aircraft remain on the ground at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, one belonging to Turkish Airlines and one to Pegasus

08 March 2026 23:30 (UTC +04:00)

Türkiye's Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced on Saturday that Turkish carriers have extended flight cancellations across the Middle East through at least March 13, with some Iran routes suspended until late March, as the region's aviation crisis enters its second week with no sign of abating, APA reports citing Türkiye Today.

Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus and SunExpress have canceled all flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan through the end of March 13, Uraloglu said in a post on X. The latest extension pushes the suspension well beyond the initial cutoff of March 9 that carriers had set earlier in the week, reflecting what the minister described as "ongoing risks" following updated assessments.

Flights to six Gulf destinations, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dammam, have also been scrapped through March 13.

Iran services face the longest disruption. Pegasus has pulled its Tehran flights from its schedule through March 12, while Turkish Airlines has removed Iran from its flight program entirely until March 20, the furthest cancellation horizon of any Turkish carrier.

Two Turkish aircraft remain on the ground at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, one belonging to Turkish Airlines and one to Pegasus, Uraloglu confirmed. A third aircraft, operated by Tailwind Airlines and leased to an Iraqi company, is grounded somewhere in Iraq.

The stranded planes have been a recurring element of the minister's updates since the crisis began. Earlier in the week, Uraloglu noted that the crews and airline representatives stationed in Tehran had already been evacuated to Türkiye through the Turkish embassy's coordination.

Uraloglu said his ministry is closely tracking developments across Middle Eastern airspace. NOTAMs, the formal notices that officially close airspace to civilian traffic, remain in effect over Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria, with the exception of the area around Aleppo. Partial civilian flights continue in Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, while the United Arab Emirates is operating air traffic on a controlled, limited basis.