Iran Air resumes domestic flights after 50-day wartime hiatus
Imam Khomeini Airport set to restore Muscat, Turkey routes
Iran Air, the flag carrier of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced Tuesday that its domestic flights would resume on Wednesday after a 50-day suspension, with the first service operating between Tehran and Mashhad.
The inaugural flight is scheduled to depart this morning from Mehrabad Airport in Tehran to Mashhad, with a return flight set for noon from Mashhad to Mehrabad, according to Mehr news agency. Iran Air stated that its domestic flight schedule would be gradually restored.
Mohammad Amirani, CEO of Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company (IAC), said planning was underway to resume flights from Imam Khomeini International Airport to Muscat and Turkey, while the Mashhad-Muscat route was also under consideration pending review and approval of conditions. All flights and airport operations would remain subject to national conditions and safety considerations, he added.
"Following a meeting with air defense officials, the top priority at present is ensuring safety conditions for reopening airports to enable their gradual return to operational cycles," Amirani told Tasnim news agency.
Amirani noted that Mehrabad Airport had declared readiness for a limited number of flights and that the national air traffic control center was fully prepared to provide services. He added that Kerman and Yazd airports had become operational from Wednesday based on issued NOTAMs, while the reopening of other airports remained on the agenda, contingent upon necessary permits from the Civil Aviation Organization.
On Saturday, Iran reopened the eastern section of its airspace for international overflights following a security and safety review, after a closure imposed during the Israeli-American aggression that began on February 28. Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport, as well as six other airports, have also resumed operations.
Russia to lift Iran flight ban
In a related development, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) announced Monday that airlines would again be permitted to fly to Iran and sell tickets to and from the United Arab Emirates.
"Transit flights and direct flights to airports within Iran can now resume, provided that all guidelines from Iranian aviation authorities are carefully observed," Rosaviatsia said in a statement Monday, according to ISNA.
Russia had suspended flights to the occupied Palestinian territories and Iran following the US-Israeli aggression against Iran in late February. Rosaviatsia had previously stated that Iranian airspace would remain closed until May 15 and had asked Russian airlines to halt ticket sales to the UAE until further notice.
The agency did not explain its policy shift on Monday, stating only that the decision to resume flights and ticket sales was made in coordination with Russian transport authorities and the Foreign Ministry. Following temporary ceasefire agreements in the Iran-Lebanon conflicts, Rosaviatsia announced Thursday that daily flights to and from the occupied Palestinian territories would be permitted at least until May 15.
Also on Monday, Qatari aviation authorities announced they would allow foreign airlines to land at their main airport near Doha.
According to a report by The Moscow Times, Rosaviatsia has asked Russian travelers to use alternative routes when flying to Persian Gulf countries such as Qatar.