Bandar Abbas-Doha Flights Launched

Caspian Airlines will start operating flights to Doha, Qatar, from Bandar Abbas in Iran's southern Hormozgan Province as of Jan. 17, the first direct route to the destination from the Iranian southern city. 

According to Mohsen Ziaei, the head of the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, the service will fly on Wednesdays, taking some 100 passengers to Qatar's Hamad International Airport, Mehr News Agency reported. 

"Previously, travelers to Doha had to take a connecting flight from Tehran, but now they can take a direct flight with a return ticket at about 6 million rials [$136]," Ziaei said.

As Doha is located 520 km from Bandar Abbas, the flight is estimated to take about 50 minutes, which might vary due to weather conditions.