The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Civil Aviation Organization of Islamic Republic of Iran (CAOIRI) for regulating air flights.

The MoU was signed by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Hussein Khanlari, Vice Minister of Roads and Transportation and President of CAOIRI.

The two bodies agreed to designate the Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, RAK Airways and Fly Dubai as national carriers from UAE and Iran Air, Mahan Airlines, Asseman Airlines, Caspian Airlines, Kish Airlines and Taban Air as national carriers from Iran.

Under the agreement, Etihad Airways will run 43 flights weekly between Abu Dhabi and five major Iranian cities, Emirates and Fly Dubai will jointly operate 84 flights weekly between Dubai and Iranian cities, Air Arabia will have 49 flights weekly from Sharjah to Iranian cities while Rak Airways will run 39 flights weekly between Ras Al Khaimah and Iranian cities.

The flights will be run between UAE cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and five major Iranian cities (Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Esfahan, Kish and Bandar Abbas). These flights will be run gradually up to 2011.

Cargo services will be run between the two countries without restrictions.