Saudi airline to resume Hajj flights to Iran after 10-year hiatus: What to know
A Saudi-operated flight landed in Tehran last weekend as Iran and Saudi Arabia seek to expand their air connectivity.
After nearly 10 years of suspended air travel, Saudi Arabia and Iran are taking steps to restore regular flight connections. The push follows the arrival of a Saudi-operated flight in Tehran on Saturday, the first such landing since 2015.
What happened: On Monday, a delegation from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation visited Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport and met with airport director Saeid Chalandari. Chalandari and the delegation discussed the airport's preparedness for the upcoming Hajj season and enhancing cooperation with Saudi airlines. The Saudi delegation's visit also included a tour of two of the airport's terminals, according to Iranian media.
The visit came just two days after flynas, a private Saudi airline, operated a ceremonial direct flight from Jeddah to Tehran and back on May 17, according to a release from the Imam Khomeini airport. The flight did not appear to be carrying passengers but had a flynas crew of at least nine on board.
Saturday's flight is part of a wider initiative to facilitate Iranian participation in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, which begins in early June.
