Financial Tribune - The first Tehran-Brussels route operated by an Iranian airline was officially launched on Tuesday.

The service is offered once a week by Qeshm Air, but it could increase to three weekly flights in the future, the airline’s CEO Mahmoud Shekarabi was quoted as saying by ISNA.

The airline uses an Airbus A319 for the flight. Shekarabi said Brussels Airport is a transport hub, which makes Brussels the airline’s latest ideal foreign destination.

Qeshm Air operates 21 international routes, its website reported.

“Some 25,000 Iranians live in Belgium,” the CEO added.

The flight duration is approximately six hours and a return ticket costs 16.9 million rials ($450), Mehr News Agency reported.

Prior to this, travelers would spend anywhere between 15 and 30 hours traveling between the two cities, with up to two layovers.