Commercial air travel between Iran and Iraq has resumed, with an Iranian passenger flight arriving at Najaf International Airport after Iraq secured a waiver from US sanctions affecting Iranian airlines.
A Caspian Airlines flight carrying about 150 passengers from Tehran landed in Najaf on Sunday, marking the resumption of direct Iranian air services to the Iraqi city.
Footage from the airport showed the aircraft taxiing after landing, while passengers completed immigration and other entry procedures inside the terminal.
One passenger, Hadi Hassan Al-Ebrahimi, said he had been waiting for flights to resume for 23 days and welcomed the return of direct air travel.
Another passenger from Mashhad said the roughly 2,000-kilometre journey by other means had been physically demanding, making the restoration of flights particularly important for travellers.
Najaf Airport Deputy Director Hussein Muhanna said flights had resumed following efforts by the Iraqi government and public calls for the restoration of Iranian air services.
According to Muhanna, the agreement allows eligible Iranian airlines to operate up to 40 flights a day to and from Najaf. The airport is preparing technical and administrative arrangements to manage the expected increase in passenger traffic.
The resumption follows US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector, which led some ground-handling companies and airports to suspend services to Iranian carriers over concerns about violating US restrictions.
Iraq subsequently secured an exemption allowing Iranian airlines to operate flights to and from Najaf, with Mahan Air excluded from the arrangement.
The development is expected to restore a key air link for passengers travelling between Iran and Iraq, particularly those visiting Najaf, one of the major religious destinations in Iraq.