IranAir, the state-owned civilian airliner, has announced that all its flights to and from Europe have been suspended until further notice.
The company announced Sunday, March 8, that the reason for the suspension is “restrictions” imposed by Europe “for unknown reasons”.
Iran has the second largest coronavirus epidemic outside China, and it has been identified as the source of spreading the virus to more than a dozen countries around the world. According to official figures announced a day earlier, close to 6,000 cases have been confirmed and around 150 people have died.
However, critics say the government’s response to the health crisis has been haphazard, failing to establish quarantines and hospitals in some cities are overflowing, with supplies running low.
IranAir did not say if the restrictions imposed came from the European Union authorities or some member countries.
Earlier, Sweden had suspended flights from Iran as a coronavirus preventive measure. The country has a large Iranian immigrant community.
Austria also announced the suspension of all direct flights from Iran this week to prevent people infected with coronavirus from entering the country.
All of Iran’s immediate neighbors have either completely closed their borders to land travel from Iran or imposed restrictions.
