Ground crew stand by a parked passenger aircraft at night.
A private airline completed its inaugural direct flight from the Iranian capital Tehran to the Turkish eastern province of Van on Aug. 30, bringing 80 Iranian tourists to the region.
The aircraft landed at Ferit Melen Airport after a one-and-a-half-hour journey. Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials greeted the group with flowers.
Chamber President Necdet Takva said the route stems from a pact between a Van-based company and the airline. The flight carried 20 industry guests invited to evaluate local tourism opportunities.
“Our target is 1 million tourists this year barring any regional conflict, new embargoes or technical issues,” Takva said, noting 777,000 Iranians entered Van via the Kapıköy Border Gate in 2025.
Iranian passengers expressed relief over the air link.
“We used to come to Türkiye by car and bus. This time it was very comfortable,” Semira Taheri said.
Tour operator Abdolreza Shakouri said he is visiting Van for the first time.
“Iranians have a special interest in Van. It is the closest city to the Iranian border,” tourist Mohammeddizaferani said.
Travel agent Mahsa Mohammeddizaferani said she plans to shoot promotional footage to attract more visitors.
Iranians constitute a major economic lifeline for Van, traditionally arriving via land routes to shop during national holidays. The new flight infrastructure aims to streamline this cross-border mobility.
