Hi,
quite great news just in - read it on the Iranian News Agency www.irna.ir :
Iran Air to launch direct flights to Brussels Brussels, May 22, IRNA
Belgium-Iran-air link
The national carrier of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran Air, will launch a direct flight from Tehran to Brussels from 9 July, Iran Air told IRNA Tuesday.
Initially there will be two flights a month. One flight will be direct Tehran-Brussels and the other will be Tehran to Brussels via the German city of Cologne.
Iran Air will deploy an Airbus 300 on the route to Brussels, said the official.
Atlantis wrote:Two flights a MONTH is a little bit weird, isn't it?
I hope this is true because the direct flights to Tehran is already four years old.
I agree - not exactly what you call a high frequency route (and only one flight a month is non-stop, the other making a stop in Cologne). Nevertheless, a quote from an airline official to the national news agency seems more reliable to me than the previous rumours about this flight (I remember the Iranian ambassador to Belgium and the EU having said something in this respect about a year ago or so) ... As to the frequency - not sure whether Iran Air has sufficient fleet capacity at its disposal to fly the route a couple of times a week let's say ...
Atlantis wrote:Two flights a MONTH is a little bit weird, isn't it?
I hope this is true because the direct flights to Tehran is already four years old.
I agree - not exactly what you call a high frequency route (and only one flight a month is non-stop, the other making a stop in Cologne). Nevertheless, a quote from an airline official to the national news agency seems more reliable to me than the previous rumours about this flight (I remember the Iranian ambassador to Belgium and the EU having said something in this respect about a year ago or so) ... As to the frequency - not sure whether Iran Air has sufficient fleet capacity at its disposal to fly the route a couple of times a week let's say ...
I have count on airliners.net that Iran Air has 5 Airbus A300 flying to Dubai, Stockholm, Hamburg, already Cologne and domestic flights into Iran.
Atlantis wrote:Two flights a MONTH is a little bit weird, isn't it?
So a very wise decision of Iran Air on a market that has to be prospected.
Yes, but there are better ways than to travel in an aging A300, Stef....
Skystef wrote:Cubana started back in 1985 two flights/month on Havana, the service lasted almost 14 years (frequency was of course raised).
News from those is like news from el lider: the shorter the better.
El lider needed money, so the dictator sold his beaches. I do not see his iranian homonym doing that.
SN30952 wrote:Yes, but there are better ways than to travel in an aging A300,
Ain't that the truth. WHy would anyone get on that when they could go on A KL 330 from AMS, an AF 340 from CDG, A BA or Lufthansa airbus. Book far in advacne you would even get a decent price....
Heard that RB is not doing that badly on the dam-bey-bru route..for all pax departing bru to bey or dam this is the only direct flight... it takes 4 hours to bey..next best alternative at least 7 hours with equipment change..second security check at transit point etc..a nightmare..
b720 wrote:Heard that RB is not doing that badly on the dam-bey-bru route..for all pax departing bru to bey or dam this is the only direct flight... it takes 4 hours to bey..next best alternative at least 7 hours with equipment change..second security check at transit point etc..a nightmare..
Could you reveal sth. about your source ? I remember rumours last year (and there should even be a post somewhere on this forum) that RB considered leaving BRU ... ?
WHy would anyone get on that when they could go on A KL 330 from AMS, an AF 340 from CDG, A BA or Lufthansa airbus.
Because 95% of travellers have no idea what plane they're flying on, or simply don't care. Plus, Iran Air's A300-600s are not that old at all, they're from the mid 1990s. They're about the same age as SN's A330s.
WHy would anyone get on that when they could go on A KL 330 from AMS, an AF 340 from CDG, A BA or Lufthansa airbus.
Because 95% of travellers have no idea what plane they're flying on, or simply don't care. Plus, Iran Air's A300-600s are not that old at all, they're from the mid 1990s. They're about the same age as SN's A330s.
You think so? Ask the people that take flights to Tehran from the likes of DXB, KWI or BAH. You will find that the much preferred option is to go EK, KU, GF, QR or frankly almost anyone other than Iran Air. Iran Air get the passengers that can't either can't afford tickets on the other carriers or have no alternative 'cos the others are full.
Thats what my Iranian friends in the Gulf tell me anyway....
As for them not being that old....certainly true and I am sure they are safe enough but HOW sure can you be. The sanctions on Iran are about to get even more restrictive in all likelihood thanks to the nuclear standoff and though Iranians are experts at keeping planes in the air these sanctions are going to affect them even more.
Not sure how putting the lives of civilian passengers in danger because of political maneuvering on both sides helps anybody's position but there ya go. That's why I am not a politician I guess.
All I'm saying is that I wouldn't be keen to get on one of these birds unless I was being forced.....
chunk wrote:All I'm saying is that I wouldn't be keen to get on one of these birds unless I was being forced.....
out of Iran.
But do not mistake it is Mahair that is flying the oldies of THAI.
IranAir has a quite healthy report.
Iran Tours, that's something else, although an Iran Air subsidiary.
The only IR-disaster I remember, was IR655 shot down by the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes.
On a Sunday in July 1988, just befor the 4th.....
That was (is) in the time the US Navy could not make the difference between an A300 and an attacking military fighter.
Ask the people that take flights to Tehran from the likes of DXB, KWI or BAH. You will find that the much preferred option is to go EK, KU, GF, QR or frankly almost anyone other than Iran Air.
- read it on the Iranian News Agency www.irna.ir : 
