TEHRAN – Iran’s Qeshm Air on Friday will start its maiden weekly flight connecting Tabriz to Hamburg with return legs set to be operated on Saturdays, asriran.com reported.

Arrangement for the Tabriz-Hamburg service started about six months ago by the Qeshm Air and other associated establishments, considering potential applicants and the fact that Tabriz has been selected as the Tourism Capital of Islamic Countries in 2018, the website quoted Mostafa Safaei, the director general of East Azarbaijan province’s airports, as saying.

Last November, the private airline received its TCO (third country operator) license from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), announcing five flights to Europe.

Refurbishing Iran’s aviation industry is essential for tourism boom in the country that aims to lure 20 million foreign travelers annually by 2025.

Tabriz has been a place of cultural exchange since antiquity and its UNESCO-inscribed historic bazaar complex is one of the most important commercial centers on the Silk Road.

AFM/MG