Qatar airways plans to fly in 31 domestic routes in Iran

Qatar Airways said on Monday it will more than double its weekly flights to Iran, while the company officials said that the second-biggest Arab carrier also intends to start domestic flights in 31 routes in Iran.State-owned Qatar Air will increase services to 52 a week in a four-month ramp up starting December 1 while adding a fourth destination, Isfahan, to the network, it said in a statement. The Persian Gulf company may also offer domestic services under a code-sharing agreement with Iranian carriers. "We have been working with the authorities in Iran for increased capacity across the country," CEO Akbar Al Baker said in the statement. The new services will aim to meet the travel demands of the Iranian expatriate community via Qatar Air's international network based on Doha, he said. Qatar Airways already has orders for more than 200 jets worth in excess of $40bln and will announce a further contract at the Dubai air show next month, Al Baker said October 6 in Oslo. Qatar Air began serving Iran in 2004 with flights to Tehran, followed by Mashhad and then Shiraz. New services will be operated by Airbus A320 jets with business and economy seats. A further accord has been struck allowing Qatar to operate domestic trips, according to Shahriar Afandizadeh, Iranian deputy minister for roads and urban development. Under the deal, Qatar Air would operate code-share flights with Iranian operators in order to comply with laws excluding foreign companies from domestic routes, Iran Air CEO Farhad Parvaresh said on Sunday.