Turkish Airlines (THY) has officially suspended all scheduled flights to the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday, January 9, 2026.
This comes as nationwide anti-government protests in Iran escalated into a significant security crisis.
The decision follows a night of chaos across Iranian cities and a sudden move by Tehran authorities to restrict airspace and activate air defense systems.
Data from the Istanbul Airport mobile application confirmed that all five of Turkish Airlines’ scheduled Friday services to Tehran were cancelled.
Several other regional carriers, including Pegasus Airlines and AJet, also suspended operations to Iranian cities such as Tabriz and Mashhad.
The disruption began late Thursday night when flight tracking platforms showed multiple aircraft, including a Turkish Airlines flight to Shiraz and a Pegasus flight to Mashhad, turning back mid-air to exit Iranian airspace.
Reports indicate that Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization issued urgent “Notices to Air Missions” (NOTAMs) on Friday, effectively suspending operations at Tehran’s main international airport (OIIX).
The United Kingdom and Germany have issued advisories warning commercial airlines to avoid Iranian airspace entirely, citing “heightened military activity” and the potential use of anti-aircraft systems.
The current wave of protests, which has entered its 12th day, was sparked by a dramatic collapse of the Iranian rial and a sharp rise in the cost of basic living.
Since December 29, 2024, traders and citizens have mobilized across all 31 provinces, with slogans shifting from economic grievances to direct challenges against the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Human rights groups, including the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), reported Thursday that at least 45 protesters, including eight minors, have been killed by security forces.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media has broken its silence, blaming the unrest on “terrorist agents” backed by foreign powers.
Turkish authorities are yet to issue an official diplomatic response, but the suspension of travel and the grounding of hundreds of passengers at Istanbul Airport highlight growing concerns over wider regional disruption.
