TEHRAN - Chief Executive of Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) has said that Iranian and Turkish airlines have agreed to resume flights, which had repeatedly been suspended over coronavirus concerns.

“With the coordination made between Civil Aviation Organizations of Iran and Turkey, the two countries will operate two flights on a daily basis by fully observing health protocols and guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Mehr quoted Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh as saying on Monday.

He noted that one of the flights will be operated by an Iranian airline company, and the other by Turkish Airlines in full compliance with the preannounced health instructions.

The resumption of flights has been done in order to eliminate some monopolies, keep ticket fares at a low price and help passengers on this route, he explained.

Earlier this week, Maqsoud As’adi-Samani, the secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines (AIA) announced, publicized the suspension of newly-reestablished Iran-Turkey flights pledged to be operated by Turkish Airlines.

“For the time being the fate of the service is on the air… the reason for these policies by the Turkish authorities is not clear and we do not know why they change their minds and decisions so quickly,” As’adi-Samani said.

Last week, and following months of ups and downs, the flag carrier resumed its flights to Tehran after six months of halt under strict health protocols. Outbound passengers were required to hold a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result, otherwise, the boarding pass won’t be issued for them, he noted.

AFM/MG