Turkey seizes Iran’s Caspian Airlines jet over $3.4M debt
The court-ordered seizure at Istanbul Airport comes as Iranian carriers face mounting pressure from sweeping new US aviation sanctions.
ANKARA — Turkish authorities on Monday seized an Iranian Caspian Airlines Boeing 737 at Istanbul Airport, just before it was due to depart for Tehran.
What happened: The seizure took place after a Turkish aviation services company obtained a court order over an alleged €3 million (roughly $3.4 million) unpaid debt, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
The aircraft had completed boarding and was preparing to depart for Tehran when enforcement officers and lawyers representing the creditor requested that airport authorities prevent it from taking off. Officials subsequently ordered the passengers and cabin crew off the plane and back into the terminal before the aircraft was seized.
The debt allegedly stemmed from aviation representation and supervision services that Turkish company ACM Temsil Gozetim provided to Caspian Airlines, according to Ekonomim.
