Qatar Airways Announces Major Expansion in Iran
Qatar Airways has revealed a dramatic expansion in Iran, with reports that the carrier could be launching domestic services within the country in partnership with a local carrier. The Middle East carrier currently offers 21 flights per week into the country from its Doha International Airport base, however over a four month period it will boost capacity by around 150 per cent, adding a further 31 and introducing a fourth destinations, the Central Iranian city of Isfahan.
Alongside the previously announced daily service to Isfahan, which will launch on January 11, 2012, the capital Tehran will be served with an additional daily flight; Iran’s second largest city of Mashhad is to get nine extra flights, and Shiraz, the economic centre of southern Iran, will be given eight new flights.
An estimated 194,000 passengers were carried on the airline’s existing network from Iran. Around 49.9 per cent of these passengers are beginning or ending their journey in Doha, the rest connecting via the Middle East hub to other destinations across Qatar Airways’ global network. The largest traffic flows are to Bahrain (5.3 per cent), Sweden (4.2 per cent), the UK (3.8 per cent), Saudi Arabia (3.4 per cent) and Oman (3.4 per cent) supporting the large Iranian expatriate community in these parts of the world.
Qatar Airways currently offers just two flights per week to Shiraz, but will increase to a daily schedule on December 1 and will add the further three weekly flights from March next year. This route is also served by Iran Air on a weekly basis, with around 16,000 O&D passengers travelling between the two destinations.
The additional nine weekly flights to Mashhad, increasing from five flights to a double daily schedule, and the third daily rotation to Tehran will be introduced in March 2012. An estimated 25,000 O&D passengers flew between Doha and Mashhad last year and around 69,000 between Doha and Tehran. All the additional flights will be operated using Airbus 320s configured with 12 Business Class and 132 Economy seats.
Qatar Airways began flying to Iran in 2004 with the launch of services to Tehran. Flights to Mashhad started the following year, with Shiraz introduced to the network just five months ago. It has high hopes for its new route to Isfahan, with anticipated strong business and leisure demand.
Isfahan, home to textile and steel mills and located on the country’s main north-south and east-west crossroads, is the heartbeat of central Iran’s economy. With fine historic Islamic architecture, palaces and tree-lined wide boulevards, the city is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Middle East.
“This announcement is an historic moment showing the strengthening of ties between our two countries,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways. “We have been working with the authorities in Iran for increased capacity across the country and delighted to have reached agreement.”
Qatar Airways makes no mention of plans to launch flights within Iran, however a number of Middle Eastern newspapers and international newswires include stories on the subject. It is understood that the airline has requested permission to operate internally within Iran and that it is now working with local carriers to establish codeshare arrangements to comply with existing laws. The Iranian aviation sector has been hit hard by US sanctions, which have left a shrinking, dilapidated fleet unable to keep pace with demand.
"The agreements have been done and the time of implementation of this agreement will be announced by the roads and urban development ministry," the deputy minister in that ministry tasked with transport, Shahriar Afandizadeh, was quoted as saying by the ISNA agency.
READ our other stories of the day...
Singapore Airlines Names Budget Operator Scoot
Related Content
