Financial Tribune - Flights between Baku and Mashhad have been launched on Monday, director general of Khorasan Razavi Province Airports Company, Mahmoud Amani-Bani.

The maiden flight departed from Mashhad International Airport in a ceremony attended by provincial officials and representatives of Azerbaijan Republic in Iran.

The weekly flights are operated by an Azerbaijani airline on Mondays and Thursdays.

Amani-Bani said the frequency of flights may increase to run daily in the future.

The new flights have been launched with the aim of strengthening Iran-Azerbaijan relations and facilitating Azerbaijani Muslims� pilgrimage to Mashhad, which is home to the holy shrine of eighth Shia Imam Reza (PBUH).

Amani-Bani expects that with the launch of the new route, more than 3,000 Azeri Shia pilgrims will visit Mashhad every month, Mehr News Agency reported.