IKIA says foreign airlines in talks to resume Iran routes
Foreign airlines are in talks to resume flights to Iran and have announced their readiness to return to the market, the chief executive of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) City told ILNA.
Ramin Kashef-Azar said foreign carriers were negotiating a return to Iranian routes as conditions stabilized following the conflict.
The country’s airspace gradually reopened after a ceasefire was reached between Washington and Tehran on April 8, halting a 40-day conflict launched by the US-Israeli coalition in late February.
“International flights are operating according to schedule. Domestic airlines are maintaining their international flight programs and flight conditions at this airport are normal,” Kashef-Azar said.
“For foreign airlines, Iran is an attractive market, and with every day they lose access to Iranian routes they incur losses. They do not want to lose this market, and multiple rounds of negotiations have so far taken place on returning to Iranian routes as conditions stabilize,” he said.
He said domestic carriers were continuing to meet market demand until foreign airlines resumed operations.
“Domestic airlines are continuing to meet existing market demand, and with longer operating hours, the number of flights at Imam Khomeini Airport is also increasing,” he said.
Kashef-Azar said Iran Air was currently operating Hajj flights without the participation of Saudi airlines and had encountered no problems.
He added that foreign airlines had also moved to remove parked aircraft from Imam Khomeini airport during the period of conflict.
Kashef-Azar said development projects at Imam Khomeini airport were continuing without interruption.
“Development is our right, and during this period no project was halted or left unfinished,” he said.