Italian civil aviation regulators have limited the authorisation of Iranian carrier Mahan Air, cutting off its route permits just a month and a half into its winter schedule.

Italian civil aviation regulators have limited the authorisation of Iranian carrier Mahan Air, cutting off its route permits just a month and a half into its winter schedule.

National regulator ENAC states that the airline will only be allowed to operate until 15 December.

The winter season is supposed to run to 28 March 2020.

ENAC has not given a reason for its decision, stating only that Mahan Air flights are authorised "only for a limited period".

The regulator says this will give the carrier time to rebook affected passengers.

Mahan Air operates to Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino from Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport.

It had previously been serving Milan but only commenced the Rome service in early July, the airline says.

Schedules data indicates the airline uses Airbus A340-600s on the twice-weekly flights.

Mahan Air had also been serving Germany before the civil aviation authority withdrew the carrier's operating licence. It continues to fly to Barcelona in Spain.

The carrier has been under pressure from the US government which has repeatedly accused it of weapons transport and shipping illicit cargo to support Iranian government activities.

Mahan Air has previously insisted it is a company that adheres to international principles. The carrier was formerly blacklisted by the European Commission in 2007, over safety concerns, but freed from the prohibition the following year.

It operates a mixed fleet primarily comprising Airbus A340-300s and -600s, A300-600s and A310-300s, as well as Boeing 747s.