Qatar Airways enters Iran domestic sector Monday, 31 October 2011 02:19

DOHA:  For the first time, Iran has permitted a foreign airline - Qatar Airways - to run domestic flights in Iran, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported.

Qatar Airways, however, will not run domestic flights on its own but will operate in collaboration with an Iranian company, as required by the Iranian law, the agency quoted Iranian Deputy Minister for Transport  Shahrear Afandi Zadah, as saying.

The Iranian airlines companies have been suffering from American sanctions for the past 30 years. Iran had been hiring Russian-made aircraft especially from Ukraine and the country had witnessed 15 aircraft accidents in the last ten years that killed more than 900 people, said the agency.

When Iranian ambassador to Doha visited The Peninsula office recently, he had hinted that the permission would come soon.

THE PENINSULA

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