German no-frills airline to launch direct flights to Iran

German budget airline Germania will offer direct flights to Tehran and Mashhad starting next month, Germania CEO Karsten Balke told IRNA in an exclusive interview.

“We will have twice-a-week direct flights from Berlin and Dusseldorf to Tehran, in addition to a once-a-week direct flight from Hamburg to Mashhad,” said Balke.

The flights from Dusseldorf to Tehran will begin on February 20, the flights from Berlin to Tehran on February 22 and the Hamburg-Mashhad flights on February 25, he added.

The current one-way airfare will be 220 euros from Berlin’s Schoenefeld Airport, 230 euros from Dusseldorf airport and 250 euros from Hamburg’s airport, according to Balke whose company will deploy the Airbus 319 and the Boeing 737-700 on the route from Germany to Iran.

The return-leg of the flights between Iran and Germany are in a similar price range, airline officials said.

Balke said the easing of the anti-Iran sanctions and the general change in the political atmosphere in Iran were a partial factor in the airline’s decision to launch flights to Iran.

He said the booming Iranian market had tremendous potential given its young population which simply could not be ignored.

Balke said his company was not only eying Iranian expats and German tourists as its potential passengers but also business people, pointing out that many businessmen may especially take advantage of the direct flights between Hamburg and Mashhad.

Germania is also offering flights to other destinations in the Middle East, including the Lebanese capital Beirut.