Iran authorities studying U.S. direct flights idea
TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian newspaper says the country’s civil aviation authority is examining ways to resume direct flights to and from the United States.
The Thursday report by pro-reform Shargh daily quotes authority head Capt. Hamid Reza Pahlavani as saying his agency is ready to resume the flights if there is agreement with the U.S.
He said such flights require agreement and coordination from both countries.
On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani asked aviation authorities to study the possibility of such flights.
The moves reflect Iranian efforts to possibly build on the groundbreaking exchanges with Washington that included a telephone chat last week between Rouhani and President Barack Obama.
Direct flights between the two countries halted after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran made efforts to resume them in 2006 but did not succeed.