ATA Airline will be the seventh direct flight between Pakistan and Iran.
The Iranian carrier ATA Airline is set to launch its weekly flight Islamabad and Iran’s northeast city Mashhad, in a bid to enhance connectivity between two countries.
ATA Airline‘s opening flight is scheduled from Mashhad to Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport on February 10 Saturday at 10: 00 pm and would depart at 1:00 am. It will initially operate two flights a week with Saturday flight leaving Mashad at 10 pm the second flight will leave at 1 am on Sunday morning.
ATA carrier operates with a fleet of narrow-body equipment and provides domestic and international travel and charter services to destinations across the Middle East and Europe from its hub at Tabriz International Airport.
The announcement of Iran-Pakistan flight will prove to be another step to enhance connectivity between the people of the two countries and It would be the seventh direct flight between the two friend countries.
At present, Kish Air is operating direct flights between Islamabad and Tehran; Iran Air operates flights between Karachi and Tehran, whereas Taban Air flights operate between Lahore and Mashhad.
The airline was established on 17 December 2008 and started scheduled operations in 2010 with services on domestic routes. Its first flight was performed on 31 December 2009 from Tabriz to Mashhad. The airline’s name translates to ‘father’ in Turkish and Azeri languages.
Earlier Iran’s private carrier Mahan Air plans to establish a direct flight route between Tehran and Pakistan’s northern city of Lahore.
Each year, thousands from Pakistan visit Iran on tourism trips as well as pilgrimages to Mashhad where the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) – the eighth Imam in the Shia world is located, the report added. The population of Shias in Pakistan is estimated to be at least 16 million from a total of above 190 million.