TEHRAN - Russia is scheduled to lift its COVID-19 ban on flights to Iran and several other countries as of Nov. 9, the government coronavirus task force said on Thursday.

Moscow stopped normal commercial flights abroad when the pandemic struck last year, but it has since been gradually relaxing the restrictions, Reuters reported.

The restriction will also be eliminated on flights to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, Oman, Tunisia, and Thailand.

“The flight bans dealt a heavy blow to Russia’s airlines,” Reuters said.  

Russian tourists eager to visit Iran

Many Russian tourists are eager to travel to Iran, an Iranian travel expert said earlier in May, recounting his Russian counterparts.

“Many [potential] Russian travelers are motivated to visit novel and lesser-known destinations such as Iran that could be a safe and attractive destination,” said Mostafa Sarvari who presides over the tourism marketing and advertising office of the Iranian Tour Operators Association.

“According to Russian tourism experts, the feedback from Russian tourists who have traveled to Iran has been very positive, and its reflection, especially on social media, has caused a great deal of enthusiasm and interest.”

In 2017, President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin inked a visa-free agreement for tourist groups.

AFM