British Airways resumes direct flights to Iran

British Airways has resumed direct flights to Iran after the lifting of sanctions.

The service was suspended in October 2012 amid instability in the country. Six return flights per week will operate between London Heathrow and Tehran, before a daily service will start later this year.

The resumption of flights on Thursday follows the lifting of some sanctions against Iran in January after the international nuclear watchdog said the government had met its obligations as part of a deal with six world powers.

The first BA plane to Iran, a Boeing 777, will depart from Heathrow at 9.10pm. Flights were initially due to resume in July but there was a delay in establishing the route.

"The Iranians have been extremely helpful in setting up this important new route and have been as keen as we are for the service to start. Tehran is an important destination for British Airways and we wanted to ensure that the service we offered met the highest standards our customers rightly expect of us from day one," a British Airways spokeswoman said.