Iran: European airlines set to resume flights to Tehran

Islamic Republic expresses interest in buying scores of new airplanes from Boeing

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Several European airlines will resume their flights to Iran after nearly five years following a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, the state-owned IRAN daily reported on Thursday.

The newspaper quoted Mohammad Khodakarami, deputy head of Iran’s civil aviation authority, as saying British Airways officials visited Tehran on Tuesday to discuss resumption of flights. He did not elaborate.

Khodakarami also said both Air France and Dutch flagship KLM have already announced their readiness to resume flights to Tehran.

European carriers stopped their flights to Iran after the West imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Currently Iran’s national carrier, Iran Air, has three weekly flights to London as well as two weekly flights each to Paris and Amsterdam.

Earlier this week, Iran said it is also considering direct flights to the United States. Direct flights stopped between the two countries more than three decades ago. Iran and the United States severed air links when Washington broke relations in 1979 after Iranian militants stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and held the occupants hostage.

Tehran has also expressed interest in buying scores of new airplanes from American aircraft manufacturer Boeing. Iranian officials have already discussed buying 114 airplanes from European consortium Airbus.

About 1 million Iranians live in the United States, mostly in California. Thousands fly to Iran every year, often changing planes in London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Dubai.