TEHRAN, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Imam Khomeini International Airport will resume international passenger flights as of Saturday, the official IRNA news agency reported on Friday.
The first flights will depart for Istanbul in Türkiye, the Omani capital Muscat, and China's capital Beijing, IRNA quoted Ahoura Mohammadi, public relations director of the Imam Khomeini Airport City, as saying.
The inaugural flight, operated by Iran's national carrier Iran Air, is scheduled to take off at 06:45 a.m. local time (0315 GMT) for Istanbul, followed by another two flights to the same destination by Iran Airtour and Mahan Air at 09:00 a.m. and 09:30 a.m. respectively, Mohammadi said.
A flight to Muscat by Sepehran Airlines will depart at 11:00 a.m., and a Mahan Air flight to Beijing is set for 06:50 a.m., he added.
Mohammadi said that five airlines -- Iran Air, Iran Airtour, Mahan Air, Sepehran Airlines, and ATA Airlines -- have so far received permission to sell tickets.
Iran shut down its airspace after joint U.S. and Israeli strikes starting on Feb. 28, halting civilian aviation operations nationwide.
The country reopened its eastern airspace to international flights on April 18, with the gradual resumption of passenger flights at other airports since then.
Iran's Civil Aviation Authority has said that flight services will return to normal once technical and operational preparations by military and civilian authorities are completed. ■
