In a clever move, Qatar is exploiting the Iranian airline situation. With sanctions biting hard, Iranian airlines are all in trouble. Safety is clearly being hit. Below is a video of the latest example of what is becoming a sort of “new normal” in Iran.
Qatar Airways announced huge capacity increases across its network in Iran, including the launch of daily scheduled flights to a fourth city – the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
An additional 31 flights each week will be operated by Qatar between Doha and Iran, representing a 150% increase in overall frequency. The capacity rise to 52 flights per week, up from the current 21, will be phased in over a four-month period, starting in December.
Tehran will be served with an additional daily flight; Iran’s second largest city of Mashhad will get nine extra flights; Shiraz, the economic center of southern Iran, will be given eight new flights; and, starting 11 January next year, services will begin to Isfahan in central Iran.
- SHIRAZ: 8 new flights – currently twice-weekly, rising to daily, effective 1 December, and a further three flights introduced each week from March 2012.
- ISFAHAN: new route – daily flights from 11 January 2012.
- MASHHAD: 9 new flights – from the current five flights-a-week to 14 services (double daily), beginning March 2012.
- TEHRAN: 7 new flights – from the current 14 flights each week (double daily) to 21 services (thrice-daily), beginning March 2012.
All flights will be operated by A320s in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy. By the way, expect neo news at the Dubai air show.
