Air France, British Airways to end flights to Tehran

Air France and British Airways have announced that they will halt flights to Tehran next month, citing low profitability as the US reimposes sanctions on Iran.

Air France, which had run connections to the Iranian capital via its low-cost operator Joon, said on Thursday it would axe the route on September 18, blaming “poor commercial viability”.

The French carrier had already cut down on its Paris to Tehran connections from three a week to just one earlier this month, its communications service said.

British Airways had announced shortly earlier yesterday that it was suspending its London to Tehran service as it was “currently not commercially viable”.

The last outbound flight to Tehran will be on September 22, and the last inbound flight from Tehran will be on September 23, the British flag-carrier added.

British Airways said its decision was unrelated to US President Donald Trump’s imposition of new sanctions on Iran, which has affected foreign businesses operating in the country, with many pulling out altogether.

Dutch carrier KLM said last month that it was also suspending Tehran flights due to “negative results and financial outlook”.

The airline said it was in discussions with partner airlines to offer customers rebooking options, or would offer full refunds.