Emirates adds Mashhad to its network marking second gateway in Iran

JULY 7, 2015:-: Emirates announced that it will launch a new service to Mashhad, Iran from 1 September 2015, marking its second gateway into the country. Emirates will operate to Mashhad with five weekly services utilizing an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Centre, said: “Mashhad’s addition to our global network will enable us to provide flexibility and choice for customers creating new inbound and outbound markets for tourism. We look forward to boosting traffic in and out of Mashhad and drawing in visitors from a host of points across our global network including cities in Europe, India, Pakistan, the GCC, as well as Far East destinations like Bangkok.”

Mashhad is the second largest city in Iran and attracts more than 2 million foreign visitors per year. Due to its proximity to Central Asian countries, Mashhad hosts numerous international exhibitions each year and is the second most active exhibition centre after Tehran. Last year, Emirates carried more than half a million passengers to and from Iran. The country also has 17 UNESCO-registered world heritage sites and plans to boost its total Travel and Tourism contribution to GDP to USD $8.9 billion by 2024 (7.5% of GDP), according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).