Qatar Airways announces expanding operations in Iran, despite US sanctions

Mumbai, November 27: Qatar Airways announced today that it is expanding operations in Iran, despite US sanctions on the Islamic republic and a Gulf diplomatic rift over accusations Doha was too close to Tehran. It said in a statement that the carrier will begin twice-weekly flights to Isfahan in February 2019 and increase existing services to Shiraz and Tehran in January 2019.

 

 

Akbar al-Baker, the airline's group chief executive said these latest launches are further evidence of Qatar Airways' commitment to Iran. Last month, Baker said services to Iran would continue despite a tightening economic and political squeeze on the Islamic republic by Washington.

The US said it would impose sanctions on any American or foreign company that continues to do business with Iran, prompting some major airlines, including Air France, KLM and British Airways, to stop flights to Iran.

Qatar Airways will add two weekly flights to its existing Doha-Tehran route and add three weekly flights on its Shiraz service in January. It will also launch two weekly flights to Isfahan in February.

Coupled with the US sanctions, Qatar is under scrutiny from regional powers over its relationship with Iran.