British Airways is resuming direct flights to the Iranian capital Tehran following the lifting of western economic sanctions against the country.
Starting July 14, the airline will operate a six-times weekly service during the summer before moving to daily flights towards the end of the year.
The service, which resumes after operations ended in October 2012, will be operated by a four-class Boeing 777 and depart from Heathrow Terminal 5.
Neil Cottrell, British Airways’ head of network planning, said: “Iran is a large and growing economy and Tehran is a brilliant business city so we are incredibly excited to be adding another gateway to the Middle East for our customers.
“The recent lifting of sanctions opens up exciting new prospects for Iran as a tourist destination and with its rich heritage, unique architecture and world-class food it’s unsurprising Tehran is tipped to be a popular destination for 2016.”
The airline has a long history of flying to the city and offered the first scheduled flights between London and Tehran in 1946.
Tehran is one of 14 new routes British Airways will be launching this year, which include San Jose, Costa Rica, San Jose, California and Lima in Peru.
Read BBT’s destination report on Iran