STOCKHOLM (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2020) Sweden's Transport Agency has given the green light to Iranian airliner Iran Air to resume operating direct flights between Sweden and Iran, after permission was revoked on January 10, the agency announced in a statement.
"The Transport Agency made a decision [revoking Iran Air's authorization] when it was still unknown whether there was an adequate level of security for civilian flights. Since then, the events surrounding the plane crash has cleared. The Swedish Transport Agency has been in contact with Iranian authorities, and has received assurances that the necessary safety measures have been taken," head of sea and air operations at the agency Gunnar Ljungberg said in the statement.
Swedish authorities suspended Iran Air's authorization to operate direct flights between Iran and Sweden after a Ukrainian International Airlines jet was unintentionally shot down by Iranian military forces on January 8.
The crash took the lives of all 176 passengers and crew members on board, among them citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Afghanistan, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. After having initially denied responsibility, the Iranian military admitted three days after the incident to unintentionally shooting down the jetliner, having confused it with a hostile cruise missile.
