Kurdistan Region suspends flights to and from Iran

Mahan Air cancels flights to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah... what is the connection to ground services?

Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper – Follow-up

Iranian carrier Mahan Air announced the cancellation of its scheduled flights on Friday, 25 September 2026, to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah after being informed that they would not be allowed to operate, coinciding with Najaf International Airport suspending its air services with Iran.

The company's director in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Sarsenk Mamundi, told Kurdistan 24 that the airline received on Thursday evening a notification banning the Tehran–Erbil flight scheduled for the following day, and that its flight to Sulaymaniyah was also canceled.

Mamundi linked the disruption to the refusal of dnata and other companies to provide ground handling services and process aircraft procedures, stressing, according to his statement, that the airport administrations themselves do not have a direct problem with the airline's flights. Mahan Air usually operates three weekly round trips to the region, two to Erbil and one to Sulaymaniyah.

In a related development, the administration of Najaf International Airport announced the suspension of all arrivals and departures between the airport and Iran from 2 a.m. on Friday until further notice, citing directives from the competent authorities. The administration informed airlines and operating entities to halt procedures related to the affected flights, noting that updates on resumption will be announced officially.

The details released regarding Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports specifically concern Mahan Air; the communicated statement does not constitute a comprehensive government announcement to stop all carriers between the Kurdistan Region and Iran. No date was given for the resumption of the canceled flights.

Passengers holding bookings on the affected flights are advised to contact the airline or their booking office before going to the airport to inquire about the ticket status and options for changing travel dates or obtaining refunds according to the booking terms.