TEHRAN – Iran’s ATA Airlines on Sunday launched the first direct flight connecting Tehran to Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. 

The flight is carried out two times a week on Sundays and Thursdays with a duration of about 3 hours and 20 minutes, IRNA reported. 

“This is a historic event and a major accomplishment for us, which will create the prospect of attracting tourists to Tatarstan,” IRNA quoted Sergei Ivanov, the head of the State Committee on Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan, as saying on Saturday.

“We hope to see Russian and Iranian tourists would travel through this flight,” the official said, adding the Islamic Republic of Iran has recently established close ties with Tatarstan with several delegations travel to this area of Russia.

AFM/MG