Abstract: Metal phthalocyanines, owing to their unique and stable chemical structures, have significant potential for enhancing the flame retardancy of polymers. In this study, 2(3), 9(10), 16(17), 23(24)-tetra-(8-oxyquinolinyl) zinc phthalocyanine (ZnQPc) was synthesized and evaluated for its effectiveness in improving the flame retardancy of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The synergistic flame-retardant effect of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and ZnQPc was further evaluated for TPU. ZnQPc exhibited flame-retardant properties for TPU, achieving a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 23.6% at a loading of 3wt%, while also reducing total smoke release (TSR) by 20.5%, thereby effectively suppressing smoke and CO generation. The combination of APP and ZnQPc demonstrated enhanced flame retardancy compared to APP alone. Specifically, the 9%APP&1%ZnQPc/TPU composite resulted in a 54.3% reduction in peak heat release rate (pHRR), a 25.2% reduction in total heat release (THR), a 37.1% reduction in peak smoke production rate (pSPR), and a 15.1% reduction in TSR. Mechanistic studies indicated that ZnQPc promotes early TPU decomposition and catalyzes char formation at elevated temperatures. When combined with APP, ZnQPc facilitates the formation of a dense char layer, further enhancing flame retardancy. This study offers a noval perspective on the application of metal phthalocyanines in improving the flame retardancy of TPU.