China Southern Airlines will resume flights to Iran next month following a two-year hiatus. From October 9th, China Southern will operate a weekly flight between Urumqi and Tehran and may increase frequencies in the future.

China Southern resumes Urumqi-Tehran flights

After scrapping services to Iran for over two years since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, China Southern Airlines will resume service to the country by relaunching flights between Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC) and Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA).

Flights will resume on Sunday, October 9th at an initial frequency of once a week each Sunday. China Southern has claimed it will consider upping its frequency of services if demand is high enough.

According to LivingInTehran,

"Citizens of Iran and China, especially businessmen and students, have repeatedly called for more flights between the two countries, and the resumption of this new route is good news for citizens of both countries."

China Southern added that economy fares from Tehran to Urumqi will start at RMB 15,000 ($2,165). Passengers interested in purchasing fares will need to visit China Southern's website and send an email to the airline.

Mandatory five-day pre-flight quarantine

Passengers looking to travel on this route will need to quarantine for five days before catching their flight to prevent the spread of COVID-19. China may have relaxed its COVID entry requirements two weeks ago but still maintains some of the strictest entry requirements in the world.

China Southern said,

"According to the requirements of the epidemic prevention office of the destination, all passengers must be quarantined at the Tehran airport hotel for 5 days before boarding. During this period, the hotel accommodation, meals, and PCR test costs total about US$400 at the passenger's own expense."

International travelers to China will no longer need to report COVID tests, previous infections and vaccination dates upon arrival, but this is still necessary before traveling to receive a health certificate. Foreign visitors will then need to spend seven days in an isolation facility before a three-day period of health monitoring at home.

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Flights between China and Iran drop off

China Southern's Urumqi-Tehran route was popular before the pandemic, particularly as the province of Xinjiang is predominantly Muslim. The airline launched a five-weekly service in 2017 but scrapped flights in 2020 when the pandemic broke out.

During the pandemic, only Iranian carrier Mahan Airlines flew between the two countries, as China's strict entry requirements discouraged airlines and passengers from traveling.

However, China and Iran are currently enjoying a boon in diplomatic relations following increased trade talks and a revived nuclear deal between the two nations.

Are you interested in traveling with China Southern Airlines between Urumqi and Tehran? Do you think China's strict entry requirements are still necessary? Let us know in the comments.

Source: LivingInTehran