TEHRAN - A new direct flight route between Urumia, the capital of Iran’s West Azarbaijan province, and Istanbul is set to be launched within days.

Mohammadali Naelqaramaleki, the director-general of West Azarbaijan Airports, announced on Tuesday that the Urmia-Istanbul route will be operated by Caspian Airlines, with the inaugural flight scheduled for May 4 (Ordibehesht 14 on the Iranian calendar).

Under the announced schedule, flights will operate twice weekly–on Sundays and Wednesdays. The inbound flight will arrive at Urmia’s Shahid Bakeri International Airport at 4:30 p.m. local time and depart for Istanbul at 6:00 p.m. on the same day.

In addition to the new international route, Naelqaramaleki also confirmed an increase in domestic flights between Urmia and Tehran. Beginning May 4, flights between Urmia and Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport will also run every Sunday and Wednesday.

The Tehran-bound flights will arrive in Urmia at 5:00 p.m. and depart at 5:45 p.m., according to the official.

West Azarbaijan province, situated in the northwest of the country, is bordered by Turkey, Iraq (Erbil and Sulaymaniyah Governorates) and Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, as well as the Iranian provinces of East Azarbaijan, Zanjan, and Kordestan. It is separated from Armenia by Turkey’s short border with the Azerbaijan Republic. The province covers an area of 39,487 km2, or 43,660 km2 including Lake Urmia.
AM