TEHRAN –Afghanistan’s flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines resumed its flights to Tehran on Wednesday following a year of suspension, ISNA reported on Friday. 

As of October 12, Ariana Afghan Airlines plans to operate two weekly flights on Tuesdays and Fridays between Kabul and Mashhad and a weekly flight on Wednesdays between Kabul and Tehran. 

Previously, an Iranian airline company operated direct flights between the two neighbors, the report said. 

Moreover, a number of Iranian travel insiders have requested both countries to waive visa requirements for their nationals who want to enter the Islamic Republic and Afghanistan. 

Back in January, the Iranian tourism ministry announced that citizens from Iraq and Afghanistan were the main tourists visiting Iran during a span of 70 days from October 23 to December 22, 2021. 

During the mentioned period, 226,000 people from Iraq, 103,000 from Afghanistan, 90,000 from Turkey, 22,000 from Azerbaijan, and 18,000 from Bahrain arrived in Iran.

In addition, from December 22, 2021, to January 1, 2022, some 23,000 people from Iraq, 10,000 from Afghanistan, 6,000 people from Turkey, 2,000 from Azerbaijan, 341 from Bahrain, 20,000 from Oman, 3,000 from Pakistan, 703 from Russia, 472 from Germany, and 6,000 from other countries visited Iran.

Iran is potentially a booming destination for travelers seeking cultural attractions, breathtaking sceneries, and numerous UNESCO-registered sites. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

ABU/AM