TEHRAN-- Direct flights to the holy city of Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi province from the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm began this week in a move to the development of religious tourism and economic ties, the director general of Qeshm International Airport has said.

holamreza Karim-Aqaei announced the start of direct flights from this airport to the holy city of Mashhad. These flights are operated by Sepehran Airlines on Sundays and Wednesdays at 15:35, he added, Khabar Online reported. 

Emphasizing the importance of launching this air route, Karim-Aqaei stated that the measure will not only facilitate the travel of pilgrims to Mashhad, but it can also be effective in developing religious tourism capacities and strengthening economic relations between the two regions. 

He also referred to the development plans of Qeshm Airport, adding that this flight is part of the ongoing plans, and the number of domestic and international flights will increase in the near future. 

Karim-Aqaei stated that this airport, as one of the important air transportation hubs in the south of the country, has on its agenda the upgrading of infrastructure and cooperation with reputable airlines. 

Qeshm Airport is an international airport that is located in the center of Qeshm Island, Hormozgan Province. It is also known as Deyrestan International Airport.
This airport is one of the five private airports of Iran. It is considered a crowded airport in Iran. Currently, more than 10 domestic and international flights operate at this airport every day. 

This airport has some terminals for domestic, international, and Hajj flights. The terminal that is dedicated to the Hajj flights is located on the second level with an area of 3000 square meters.

Qeshm Airport offers domestic flights to Sari, Shahr-e Kord, Gorgan, Kermanshah, Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Rasht.  It also offers international flights to Dubai and Muscat.

KD