Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has banned Mahan Air (W5, Tehran Mehrabad) from landing at its airports and transiting its airspace effective immediately.

In a statement, the GACA said it had monitored the Iranian carrier's operations and had identified what it claimed were numerous safety violations thus warranting the revocation of Mahan Air's permits.

Mahan Air was the only carrier left serving the Iran-Saudi Arabia direct market after Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran following the invasion of its embassies in Tehran and Mashad in late December.

Tensions between Shia-dominated Iran and the Sunni-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led in large part by the Saudis, were already at tipping point given either sides' involvement in the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars.