Caspian Airlines plane seized in Istanbul over €3 million debt — Euronews

At Istanbul Airport, bailiffs seized a Boeing 737 belonging to the Iranian airline Caspian Airlines over a debt of approximately €3 million. Passengers were already on board the aircraft, which was due to depart for Iran, but the flight did not take place.

As Euronews reports, representatives of the creditor, ACM Temsil Gözetim, a company engaged in aviation representation and oversight, arrived at the aircraft before departure along with lawyers and bailiffs. They served an order to seize the aircraft registered as EP-KPB. According to Anadolu Agency, passengers and crew members were disembarked and returned to the terminal.

Debt and restrictions on Iranian airlines

Caspian Airlines is based in Tehran, was founded in 1993 and is part of Iran's state aviation group. The carrier operates domestic and international Boeing 737 flights, including to Istanbul.

Euronews notes that Iranian airlines have for years faced difficulties maintaining their fleets and meeting financial obligations to foreign counterparties due to US sanctions. The restrictions concern access to aircraft, spare parts, maintenance and international financial systems.

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New US secondary sanctions

The seizure of the aircraft came several days after sweeping US secondary sanctions against Iran's aviation sector took effect. On September 8, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines and nine related service providers as part of Operation Economic Outcast.

US authorities warned that foreign airports, fuel suppliers, ground handling services and ticket sales companies that continue to serve Iranian carriers could also be sanctioned and lose access to the dollar system. Subsequently, Iranian airlines' flights were suspended in Iraq, the UAE, Azerbaijan and Oman, while Mahan Air suspended flights to Turkey and Oman. Turkey did not formally ban flights by Iranian carriers.

According to flight-tracking data, the number of daily international flights at Tehran's main airport fell from 80–90 to about 41. Tehran filed official complaints with the UN, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Court of Justice.