Turkish Airlines Resumes Direct Flights to Slemani Ahead Schedule
At a Glance:
- Turkish Airlines will resume direct flights to Slemani ahead of schedule.
- Operations restart on October 2, 2026, with four weekly round-trip flights between Istanbul and Jalal Talabani International Airport.
- Direct flights were entirely halted due to regional conflict, specifically escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.
Turkish Airlines is set to resume direct flights to Slemani earlier than anticipated, reversing a total suspension prompted by regional military instability.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- According to Jalal Talabani International Airport, Turkish Airlines has formally issued an electronic notice advancing its scheduled return to service.
- The resumption follows a period of forced suspension triggered by the closure of Iraqi airspace amid escalating U.S.-Iran military tensions.
The airport's Public Relations and Media Department announced on Wednesday that the updated timetable will feature four weekly round-trip flights between Istanbul and Slemani beginning October 2.
Turkish Airlines plans to expand this service to a daily operation effective December 14, 2026.
FYI
Turkey originally closed its airspace to flights traveling to and from Slemani in April 2023. Following diplomatic efforts between Kurdish and Turkish officials, the airspace ban was finally lifted in October 2025, allowing Turkish Airlines to briefly plan a return. The airport was also officially renamed to Jalal Talabani International Airport during this transitional period.
Just as operations were trying to normalize, a major military conflict in early 2026 involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran forced a sweeping closure of Iraqi airspace starting in February 2026.
Even after Iraqi airspace reopened to commercial traffic in April 2026, foreign carriers, including Turkish flag carriers, kept their flights to Slemani suspended due to severe regional safety risks and fluctuating geopolitical tensions.
While Turkish Airlines flights were grounded, local travelers were forced onto a restricted number of routes. Regional transit was limited to just two weekly flights by Iraqi Airways and a few weekly services handled by budget Turkish carriers Pegasus Airlines and AJet.
The persistent multi-year flight disruptions heavily disrupted trade and local tourism, racking up millions of dollars in losses for hundreds of local travel agencies in the Kurdistan Region.
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