Iran is preparing to resume flights to Europe after they were suspended due to the European Union's sanctions on three major Iranian airlines, ISNA reported on January 13.

Maqsoud As’adi Samani, secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines, said the first flight is scheduled to depart from Tehran to Paris on January 31 by Iran Airtour.

Iran Airtour is a private airline established in 1973 by the national carrier IranAir and became independent in 1992. The planes expected to operate on European routes are the Airbus A300 and other newer jets permitted to fly into the EU and UK. 

Samani added that plans are underway to launch flights to additional European destinations, including Spain, Germany, and Austria, as a potential workaround for sanctions placed on IranAir. The national flag carrier ended direct flights between the Islamic Republic and Europe. 

The EU, along with Britain, imposed sanctions on three major Iranian airlines, namely IranAir, Mahan Air, and Saha Airlines, on October 14 over their alleged transfer of ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.

Following the new sanctions, Iran Air halted flights to Europe. After the suspension, IranAir suspended all flights and announced plans to refund the affected customers.

IranAir later introduced a redirected daily flight service between Tehran and Istanbul to meet its pre-booked flight commitments to the EU and UK.

Samani said that two airlines have now obtained licenses to operate flights to Europe and have taken steps to establish these flights, but did not mention their names.

According to a statement from the UK Foreign Office, sanctions on IranAir included asset freezes and travel bans on Iran's army and air force commanders and entities involved in missile development.

"Following its ballistic missile attack on Israel, we are holding Iran accountable and exposing those who facilitated these acts," remarked Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

The UK and EU announcement comes amid rising tensions in the region following Iran's unprecedented direct missile strike on Israel on October 1, which threatens to escalate the ongoing conflict beyond the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In a related development, the European Union also agreed on the same date to impose sanctions on seven individuals and seven organisations, including Iran Air, due to their involvement in transferring ballistic missiles to Russia. 

The EU sanctions also target Saha Airlines, Mahan Air, and Iran's Deputy Defence Minister, Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Iran's stance on his X account a day earlier and accused the EU of acting under Israel's pressure.

He also rebuked "some Europeans", which he said provided Israel with various advanced weapons and eagerly participated in military operations against Iran.

The EU had previously sanctioned Iran for supplying drones to Russia in October 2022. The restrictions were imposed on three individuals and one entity.