Commercial Flights Between the EU and Tehran Set to Resume After Six-Month Suspension
After a six-month hiatus, commercial flights between the European Union and Iran’s capital, Tehran, are set to resume, marking a significant step in air travel relations between the two regions.
Lufthansa and its subsidiary, Austrian Airlines, have announced plans to restart regular flights to Tehran starting this weekend. Lufthansa will operate five weekly flights from Frankfurt, while Austrian Airlines will run four weekly flights from Vienna, according to our partner publication, AEROIN.
The suspension of air operations occurred in October last year when Iran Air was banned in Europe due to sanctions linked to its alleged supply of weapons to Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since the ban, air traffic between the EU and Iran has been suspended, forcing travelers to find alternative routes, often connecting through Istanbul or other Middle Eastern countries.
The decision by Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines to resume flights in a volatile geopolitical landscape is notable, especially given the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, which have resulted in attacks and retaliatory strikes in the region.
However, both airlines have stated that they consider the resumption of operations safe, using aircraft such as the Airbus A340-300 and A320.
Recently, an attempt by private Iranian airline Iran Airtour to operate flights to Paris with an Airbus A300 was blocked at the last moment due to objections from French authorities, who argued that the airline still maintains ties with Iran Air.
Iran Air Flights in Europe
Until the sanction, Iran Air's European network included Paris/CDG, Cologne, Rome, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Hamburg, London/Heathrow, Milan/Malpensa, and Vienna, operating an average of 24 weekly flights in each direction, offering around 5,600 seats, according to data obtained by Aviacionline via Cirium.
Outside Europe, Iran Air also operates regular flights to Dubai, Kuwait, Beirut, Mumbai, Baku, Karachi, and Al Najaf (Iraq).
Turkish Airlines and Pegasus continue to maintain a strong network with Iran, connecting Istanbul and Ankara with Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Mashhad. Other Iranian airlines, such as Iran Airtour, Meraj Air, Qeshm Air, ATA Airlines, and Mahan Air, also fly to Turkey and Russia. Additionally, Aeroflot and Nordwind Airlines operate regular flights from Russia.
Responsable English Feed en Aviacionline. Reportero gráfico.
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