Imam Khomeini Airport City Company (IKAC) announced on 3 November 2025 that European airlines are gradually returning to Iran following the July nuclear-framework accord. Direct Vienna–Tehran flights restarted the same day, and Lufthansa plans to relaunch Tehran–Frankfurt within the next two months, subject to final regulatory clearances.
The resumption ends a near two-year hiatus triggered by insurance restrictions and geopolitical tensions. For German exporters in engineering, chemicals and medical devices—many of whom maintained representative offices in Tehran—non-stop connectivity will cut journey times by four hours and remove complicated ticketing via Istanbul or Doha.
![Lufthansa to resume Tehran–Frankfurt services as European carriers edge back into Iran]()
Compliance teams must still navigate US secondary sanctions; Lufthansa confirmed it will require shippers to provide end-user certificates for dual-use goods. Travel-risk advisers note that foreign-exchange controls and patchy card acceptance persist, so cash-management protocols remain essential.
Nevertheless, the move signals incremental normalisation of air links. If successful, analysts expect daily frequencies by summer 2026 and potential code-shares with Mahan Air under a proposed EU-Iran aviation MoU.
The resumption ends a near two-year hiatus triggered by insurance restrictions and geopolitical tensions. For German exporters in engineering, chemicals and medical devices—many of whom maintained representative offices in Tehran—non-stop connectivity will cut journey times by four hours and remove complicated ticketing via Istanbul or Doha.
Compliance teams must still navigate US secondary sanctions; Lufthansa confirmed it will require shippers to provide end-user certificates for dual-use goods. Travel-risk advisers note that foreign-exchange controls and patchy card acceptance persist, so cash-management protocols remain essential.
Nevertheless, the move signals incremental normalisation of air links. If successful, analysts expect daily frequencies by summer 2026 and potential code-shares with Mahan Air under a proposed EU-Iran aviation MoU.
