The Iranian flight ban is disrupting Iraqi travel companies; land transport is an alternative option.
The Iranian flight ban is disrupting Iraqi travel companies; land transport is an alternative option.
2026-09-23
Shafaq News – Paris
A report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday evening highlighted the potential repercussions for travel agencies in Iraq as a result of the US ban on Iranian airlines.
Officials at Iraqi travel agencies reported that they have already begun canceling or replacing flights with land-based trips, with one travel agent in Baghdad saying that his agency has stopped accepting new flight bookings despite not receiving official notification of the ban.
He noted that many customers are trying to get clarification about the trips, but travel agencies do not have many answers in the absence of an official announcement.
Haider Al-Shammaa, from one of the travel agencies in the city of Najaf, said that “most of the work of travel and tourism companies operating in Najaf is flight bookings for travelers through Najaf Airport to various Iranian airports.”
He pointed out that long overland journeys, which take many hours, may be a difficult option for many, especially Iraqi patients going to Iran for treatment, and the elderly.
A land journey from Iraq to the city of Qom, south of Tehran, can take up to 12 hours.
Mustafa Amer Majeed, who works for another travel company in Najaf, explained that “travel and tourism companies rely on air transport,” expressing his fear that his company might be forced to stop working completely.
Amir Al-Fuadi, a travel agent in Diwaniyah, believes that “the cancellation of flights… poses significant challenges for both the company and the traveler.”
Iraq is a key destination for Iranian airlines, which mainly transport Iranian visitors to Shiite holy sites in Iraq, and Iraqi visitors in the opposite direction.
While the Iraqi government has not officially announced its measures under the US sanctions, several sources, including a high-ranking government official, confirmed to AFP that Baghdad will comply with these restrictions.
Flights remained scheduled until Tuesday, according to data from Flightradar24, which tracks air traffic, with the majority of arriving and departing flights using Najaf Airport.
The administration of US President Donald Trump announced at the beginning of September that it had placed the entire Iranian air transport sector on the sanctions list, and threatened to impose sanctions on any entity that works with its companies.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that Iranian airlines would cease operations on Wednesday under the weight of the sanctions.
shafaq.com
