India's national flag carrier Air India is planning to launch direct flights to the Iranian capital Tehran from Delhi or Mumbai, according to the airline's chairman and managing director.
In an interview with the British newspaper Daily Mail, Ashwani Lohani added that demand for travel to Iran is growing and the company must keep up.
"Most flights are via Dubai … a direct connection between Delhi and Tehran or Mumbai and Tehran is needed with demand growing from budget and skilled workers going there," Lohani said.
Iranian authorities have named India as a top target market for tourists and there have been talks of facilitating visa procedures to encourage travel between the two states.
The news comes as Thai Airways prepares to revive flights to Tehran from October 1.
The Thailand-based company has been promoting the route with their Experience the Beauty of Persia campaign and has even introduced promotional rates to Tehran, according to Travel Daily News.
The route was abandoned following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The airline will initially offer three weekly flights to the Iranian capital with an eye toward increasing it.
According to Thai Airways, there is strong demand for direct flights to Tehran and there are already 250,000 Iranians visiting Thailand every year.
Speaking to the media with regard to Tehran, THAI President Charamporn Jotikasthira announced that the airline will capitalize on the lifting of sanctions with Iran, one of the most promising markets for business.
Infrastructure and services needs for Iran also make it a potentially attractive business destination for Thai companies.
Most economic sanctions on Iran were lifted in January following Tehran's compliance with its obligations under the nuclear deal signed in June 2015 with six major world powers.
