An Air France direct flight from Paris to Tehran landed for the first time in eight years at Imam Khomeini International airport (IKIA) on 17 April.

The resumption of service follows the signing of a deal for 118 Airbus planes, estimated to be worth $27bn, between Tehran and Toulouse-based Airbus, shortly after the international nuclear-related sanctions on the Islamic Republic were lifted in January.

France’s Transport Minister Alain Vidalies, along with a delegation, were onboard the inaugural flight. Air France CEO Fabrice Bregier was quoted by Associated Press as saying that "[Iran] is a touristic destination, which I believe is going to become very popular, very attractive.”

Air France is understood to have operated flights to Tehran since 1946. These were suspended in October 2008, as a result of EU and UN sanctions on Iran.

British Airways is set to resume six weekly flights to Tehran in the summer, and has said it will increase these to daily flights by the winter of 2016.

The delivery of the new Airbus fleet is set to commence within months, according to Iranian media citing Airbus's CEO. However, the French plane manufacturer still needs the US to grant it an export licence before it can proceed with the delivery. It is estimated that some 10 per cent of Airbus plane parts are manufactured in the US, which has yet to authorise American aircraft firm Boeing to start sales transactions with approved Iranian airlines.