Iran Air to resume flights to Kabul on Friday — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran Air will resume its flights to Kabul on Friday, 23 October, the airline’s chief executive, Taher Abdolhay, has said. According to Mehr News Agency, he said fuel prices were among the main economic challenges facing airlines, adding that rising fuel costs, staff salaries and airport service charges had put considerable pressure on their finances. Referring to fuel costs for return flights between Tehran and Mashhad, Abdolhay said the expense was substantial, given fuel consumption of about 5,000 kilogrammes per hour. He said increased revenue from ticket sales did not necessarily translate into profits, as a large share of airlines’ income went towards operating costs, aircraft maintenance and spare parts. Regarding $30 million owed to Iran Air by foreign airlines, including Gulf Air, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, Abdolhay said the debts had accumulated through ground handling, catering and other services provided to those carriers. He said Iran Air was unable to recover the money from the airlines concerned because of sanctions and blocked bank accounts.