Airline KLM Royal Dutch to resume services to Iran

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will resume services to the Iranian capital of Tehran from October 30, 2016, it has announced.

Four weekly services will be operated between Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Tehran, and will complement the Paris-Tehran service operated by Air France since April 16, 2016.

Flight KL0433 will depart from Amsterdam at 17.40 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Tehran at 01.20 (local time).

The return flight, KL0434, will depart from Tehran at 03.20, arriving in Amsterdam at 06.45.

The flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-200 in a three-class configuration with 34 business seats, 40 seats in economy comfort and 242 seats in economy.

KLM operated services to Tehran from July 1991 until it suspended the route in April 2013. Airline officials said at the time of stopping the route that the decision was based on economic rather than political reasons.

KLM president and CEO Pieter Elbers said: “KLM has further strengthened its network with a new destination – the 14th to be added this year. This confirms that our strategy is starting to bear fruit. On the one hand we are improving our efficiency and productivity, while on the other we are investing in growth.”

Including the new flights to Tehran, KLM now offers 37 flights to nine destinations in the Middle East.

Several international airlines are resuming flights to Iran to tap into increasing opportunities in the country after the recent lifting of international sanctions.

British Airways also resumed direct flights to Iranian capital Tehran from July 14.

The airline now operates a six-time weekly service and will move to daily flights from winter 2016, it said.

Read more: British Airways to resume Tehran flights from July