Flights between Iran and Georgia, Oman and Azerbaijan have been cancelled, and Iranian carriers have stopped serving Baghdad, ISNA reported on September 23.

The disruption follows the reimposition of sanctions on Iran, which has left the country's aviation sector increasingly isolated. Foreign airlines have not flown into Iran since what Iranian officials describe as the third imposed war, leaving domestic carriers including Qeshm Air, Taban, Sepehran and Varesh to move passengers to and from neighbouring countries and other destinations, said Ramin Kashef-Azar, managing director of Imam Khomeini Airport City Company (IKAC).

Behrouz Safari, head of the Tehran Province Association of Travel Agencies, said only Mahan Air had suspended its Turkish services, with other Iranian airlines still flying to Istanbul, Ankara, Gazipasa, Izmir and southern coastal resorts. During an earlier round of aviation sanctions, Iranian aircraft ran into fuel supply problems in Turkey, and talks are under way on that issue, he said.

Iraqi routes have not closed entirely, Safari said, contradicting social media reports of a blanket suspension. Najaf airport continues to handle Iranian flights without interruption, and Iraqi nationals in Iran who had booked via Baghdad are returning home through Najaf, according to Kashef-Azar.

Georgia issued a circular a week before flights were halted, meaning travellers should already have returned, Safari said. Because the cancellation was unilateral, agencies must refund passengers in full for tours and tickets without penalty, he added.

Safari dismissed reports of steep fare rises on international routes, saying a figure of 100mn tomans quoted for an Istanbul ticket was inaccurate. Many Iranians are abandoning travel plans for fear of being stranded abroad, he said, leaving some tickets selling at a loss and agencies losing business. Domestic fares on high-demand routes have climbed more sharply than international ones, pushing more travellers onto the roads.

A review of schedules through October 1 showed flights continuing to Turkey, China, Najaf and Sulaymaniyah, Dubai, Yerevan, Kabul, Pakistan, India, Vietnam and Thailand. The Civil Aviation Organisation is in continuous consultation with counterparts abroad to keep Iranian carriers flying with minimal restrictions, Kashef-Azar said.