The flights to Shiraz, Isfahan and Ahvaz will start on 8, 11 and 14 March respectively, with Hamadan and Tabriz joining the fludubai network on 16 March. Fludubai has 44 Boeing 737-800 in service, with 91 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 on order. (Al Arabiya, 17 February)
Flydubai is starting its new Iranian destinations days before the 21 March Persian New Year, when thousands of Iranian tourists fly to Dubai to attend new-year celebration concerts, which are banned inside Iran. In the long term, flydubai’s service to seven major destinations in Iran could seriously damage the businesses of Iranian airliners which fly the same routes with much older planes.
Photo credit: flydubai aircraft at Dubai Airport (flydubai/Al-Arabiya)
once upon a time, Iran had jet planes that were safe to fly in.
ReplyDelete"flydubai’s service to seven major destinations in Iran could seriously damage the businesses of Iranian airliners which fly the same routes with much older planes"
ReplyDeleteActually, Iran's airline passengers are currently underserved by domestic carriers, in terms of not enough planes and flights.
Take for instance Mahan Air, where 6 of the 49 aircraft are due to be phased out this year alone. And then there's Qeshm Air, where wet leasing continues to provide for an expanding airline in a relatively short time.
And since Iran Air is a national airline, it's not like it will disappear.
No, this is good news for Iran's air passengers, much like LG opening a flagship retail outlet in the center of Tehran last week.
Mark,
DeleteI don't understand the point you are trying to make here. I was not talking about domestic flights; flydubai will fly directly from each of those seven cities to Dubai. That would put immense pressure on Iranian airlines flying to Dubai, as they fly much older aircraft.
I also did not say Iran Air will disappear. That airline is government-owned and will continue flying with or without enough passengers.
I do agree with you that this is a very good news for the Iranian passengers, they now have the choice to fly from seven different cities to Dubai on some of the newest aircraft in service. Also good for the No Rouz concert goers!
We might as well surrender what's little left of Iran to the Persian Gulf Arabs.
ReplyDeleteI hope everybody is happy now that a tiny country like the UAE which didn't even exist a few decades ago is now a major player in the world economic arena.While a ancient country like Iran with its 80 million population and 2600 years of written history and vast reserves of oil,gas,mining and potential tourism is left wallowing in the mud with a begging bowl at hand towards these former pirates and pearl plunderers.
ReplyDeleteAnonymousFebruary 17, 2015 at 10:07 PM
DeleteYou seem to be ignoring the simple fact that it is western sanctions that are to blame for this state of affairs not the iri government
Anon 5:50 AM
DeleteFar from it . The "simple fact" is that the "iri government" is chiefly responsible for those self inflicted "state of affairs".When you have a incompetent regime that couldn't care less for the economy and well being of Iran because of a few kilos of uranium dust and self destructive foreign policies.
the flydubai makes more flight to iran, indicate the groving of Iran- Dubai 'Business which is of course a good thing,
ReplyDeletethe guys here making from it a catastrophe.
Anon 1:13 PM
DeleteIt is a "catastrophe" because tiny Dubia has become the centre of banking,business,sea and air transport hub of the region.While Iran can't even receive payment of oil sales unless permitted by western governments.Some "resistance economy" that has turned out to be.