Mahan Air to shuttle Chinese tourists to Banja Luka
Iranian carrier Mahan Air, which plans to launch services between its base in Tehran to Banja Luka on July 21, has been issued permits by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate for Civil Aviation to commence the flights. The Directorate noted that Mahan Air's primary purpose will be to shuttle Chinese tour groups to Banja Luka. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of only four European countries, along with neighbouring Serbia, which does not require entry visas for Chinese passport holders. However, tickets for the Tehran - Banja Luka service can also be purchased freely online through Mahan Air's website, with return economy class tickets hovering at around 500 euros and business class fares at 1.000 euros.
As previously reported, Mahan Air will operate two weekly flights between the two cities, each Friday and Sunday, with a 202-seat Airbus A310-300 aircraft. The airline maintains scheduled flights to some fifty destinations including four in China - Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Without naming the Iranian carrier, Banja Luka Airport's operator, Aerodromi Republike Srpske, said, "Flights will operate from a number of Chinese cities several times per week. We expect a big increase in the number of Chinese visitors to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, because these countries have a visa-free regime with China". However, it should be noted that Montenegro does not offer Chinese passport-holders visa free entry, as incorrectly stated by the airport operator.
The privately owned Mahan Air is Iran's second largest carrier, behind state-owned Iran Air The new service will mark the resumption of intercontinental flights to Banja Luka after seven years. In 2012, the US-registered Gryphon Airlines ran several charter flights from Kuwait to Bosnia and Herzegovina's second largest city with a Boeing 767-200 aircraft leased from Thailand's Jet Asia Airways. Banja Luka Airport previously said it was in talks over the introduction of a new intercontinental service, to Africa. Its General Manager, Zoran Injac, noted, "We have plans to introduce one new route to Africa, however, it is too early to give any details". The airport is looking to extend its portfolio of destinations following its revival last October, when Ryanair introduced flights from Charleroi, Memmingen and Stockholm Skavsta.
Flight details for Mahan Air's Tehran - Banja Luka service can be found here.
Flight details for Mahan Air's Tehran - Banja Luka service can be found here.
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