British Airways launched service to Iran on Thursday after a nine-year hiatus. The flight will operate daily except for Sundays.
The commencement of the route between London Heathrow and Tehran
comes in the wake of last year’s nuclear deal that Iran reached with the U.K.,
the U.S. and four other countries. The deal resulted in the U.K. lifting some
sanctions against Iran.
“Iran is
a fascinating country, full of amazing and surprising places for tourists to
visit and discover its sophisticated and ancient culture,” said Sean Doyle, BA’s head of network
and fleet.
“The
recent lifting of sanctions has also effectively allowed Iran to re-open for
business and paved the way for commerce to re-connect with Iran’s economy,
which is the second largest in Middle East and North Africa, with a diverse
range of businesses and industries.”
BA last flew to Iran in 2007. British Midland International stopped flying to Iran in 2012, when that airline was absorbed into BA.