The first direct flight from Ardabil to Istanbul will take off on August 20.
The charter flight is coordinated between an Ardabil-based travel agency named Madar and Turkish airline Atlas Jet, Qader Taqizadeh, tourism deputy of Ardabil Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department, said.
The flights are scheduled for Thursdays, leaving Ardabil at 4:30 a.m. and departing Istanbul at 11:30 a.m., CHTN reported.
The charter flight accommodates 216 passengers.
Taqizadeh said meetings between travel agencies and provincial tourism officials will be held in Ardabil to discuss ways of promoting the province’s attractions in Istanbul.
Istanbul draws a large number of tourists from across the world each year. Due to the proximity of Turkey and Iran, the officials believe promoting Ardabil’s attractions could encourage international travelers in Turkey to visit the neighboring Iran.
Last week, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued an advisory warning Iranians to avoid land travel to neighboring Turkey, after an Iranian bus was attacked by gunmen. The attack was preceded by two bomb blasts on a railroad in eastern Turkey, including the Tehran-Ankara railroad on August 7.
