IranAir to Resume Flights to Istanbul Today

Having obtained a permit from the Turkish civil aviation authority, IranAir will resume flights between Tehran and Istanbul as of July 13. 
The airline will offer biweekly flights on Mondays and Fridays, departing from Imam Khomeini International Airport at 09:25 a.m. and returning the same day at 12:40 p.m. local time. 
Two other airlines Meraj Airlines and Iran Airtour will also operate weekly Istanbul-Tabriz-Istanbul flights starting July 12 and 13, respectively, the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development quoted the head of East Azarbaijan airports, Ramin Azari, as saying on Sunday. 
Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Turkey ordered the suspension of flights between Iran and Turkey on Feb. 26 as a precaution to stop the potential spread of coronavirus.
Reza Jafarzadeh, the spokesperson of Iran Civil Aviation Organization, says Turkey has not reopened its borders for Iranian tourists, as only Turkish citizens and those who hold work visas are allowed to travel to the neighboring country. 
“As a result, selling travel, tour, transportation and accommodation services to the general public before the authorization of flights is unlawful,” he was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. 
“Airlines must have adequate control over ticket sales. They are only allowed to sell tickets after securing flight permits to foreign countries. Passengers are also advised to check the flight status at www.cao.ir before purchasing tours or tickets.”  
According to Secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines Maqsoud Asadi-Samani, Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, has already started selling tickets for the Tehran-Istanbul route as of July 16.
“At present, Qatar Airways is selling Tehran-Doha-Istanbul tickets, prices of which range from 60 million rials [$267] to 150 million rials [$669]; the prices of Turkish Airlines tickets for direct flights between Tehran and Istanbul, from July 16 onward, are valued at 25 million rials [$111] to 38.5 million rials [$171]. Currently, the Iranian local airline is offering tickets valued at between 15 and 19 million rials ($67-85)," he said in June.