Mahan Air to launch direct flights between Tehran, Beijing

(ECNS) -- Iran's Mahan Air will launch a non-stop air route linking Tehran and Beijing, starting from late October, the airline's marketing and development director Hossin Hosseini said in Beijing on Wednesday.

Effective Oct 28, the route will be served three times a week, with outbound and inbound flights numbered W5079 and W5078.

During Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, Tehran-Beijing flights will depart at 17:30 and arrive at 6:20 the next day in Beijing Capital International Airport; while Beijing-Tehran flights will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 00:40 to 5:40.

In recent years, Mahan Air has been expanding rapidly in China, with direct flights from Tehran to Shanghai launched in 2011, followed by Guangzhou in 2013.

Established in 1991, Mahan Air has a fleet of more than 50 passenger aircraft. Last year the number of passengers it carried has surpassed 5.3 million.