You might think that air transport is reaching saturation point and that there are few markets left to conquer. Not so. This year, Iran is set to be the star destination for airlines. The reason for this is the lifting of economic sanctions against the country, following the signing of a nuclear agreement. With a population of 100 million, Iran is a country with immense economic potential. It has also recently simplified entry formalities for foreign visitors. Economic growth and a boom in tourism are sure to whet the appetites of foreign companies.
Looking at the schedules of Western European airlines this summer, eight carriers will be flying to Iran this July, compared with four just a year ago. Among the returnees to Tehran are Air France and British Airways, while Greek carrier Aegean will be inaugurating flights to Tehran for the first time. In total, Western European airlines will be offering 41,000 seats per month in July 2016, compared with 19,000 in July 2015.
The airline with the largest number of seats is Austrian Airlines, which has long positioned itself as a niche carrier from Vienna to Central Europe and the Middle East. Austrian offers up to two daily flights to Tehran and has recently obtained traffic rights to Esfahan. The airline has also announced that it has applied for traffic rights to Shiraz. In fact, the Lufthansa group - to which Austrian belongs - is making a strong comeback in the country. Lufthansa is launching three flights a week from Munich to Tehran, but has postponed the opening of a weekly service between Cologne and Tehran. KLM has also decided to postpone the opening of an Amsterdam-Tehran route, originally planned for May. Alitalia has adopted a daily frequency on the Rome-Tehran route, while Air France is returning to the Iranian capital after an eight-year absence. The French carrier launches three weekly flights by Airbus A320 from 16 April. Another airline to make a notable comeback is British Airways, which has announced that it will be landing again in Tehran after a two-year absence. more than 15 years away. The airline will operate six weekly flights from London Heathrow using Boeing 777-200ERs with four classes of service offering long-haul in-flight service.
Iran Air is also set to strengthen its European network. Especially since Iran placed an order for 118 Airbus aircraft in January, including a dozen Airbus A380s. Traffic rights were certainly part of the package. Iran Air offers nearly 20,000 seats per month to Western Europe, while its rival Mahan Air offers nearly 9,000 seats. Between them, the two airlines offer flights to 13 European Union cities, including four in Germany.
