Iran Air could cancel flights to Cyprus amidst a sharp decrease in the number of passengers since Cyprus imposed entry visas on Iranians wishing to visit the Mediterranean holiday island, an airline official has told AFP News Agency.
The Iranian national carrier makes at least one flight a week to Larnaca Airport and two during the summer months, however the next flights "could be cancelled," the official said.
"They are no longer viable. The planes, which were 90 percent full are now only 10 percent full," he specifically explained.
Iranians travelling to Cyprus did not need a visa to enter the island up until January, when the Cypriot authorities imposed the measure, citing a growing increase in drug trafficking between the two countries.
Tehran, which traditionally has good relations with Cyprus, has dismissed the argument.
According to travel experts, 10,000 Iranian businessmen and tourists visited Cyprus in the year 2001, but their numbers were expected to drop to 1,000 under the new measures, Iran News reported on Sunday.
Turkey is now the only country where Iranians can go without a visa. (Albawaba.com)
