Business Standard- Mahan Air, Iran's private carrier, proposes to launch flights connecting�Hyderabad�to�Tehran�and Mashhad, which houses a prominent Shia shrine, Iran's�Consul General�here said on Wednesday.

Earlier, Aseman Airlines, another private carrier, was planning to launch flights connecting�Hyderabad�to the holy city of�Mashhad.

However, this could not materialize due to some technical issues, said Iran's new�Consul General�in Hyderabad,�Mohammed Haghbin Ghomi.

Under the new proposal,�Mahan Air�will operate the flight on Hyderabad-Tehran-Mashhad�route. "This flight will be launched in the near future," he told reporters.

To begin with, this will be a weekly flight. Depending on demand, the frequency may be increased to thrice a week.

Hyderabad�will become the first Indian city to be connected to Mashhad, the capital city of�Khorasan�province and famous for�Ali Reza shrine.�A large number of Shia Muslims travel to�Mashhad�for 'ziarat' (pilgrimage).

Hyderabad�has a large population of Shia Muslims. The�Iranian consulate�here issues 5,000 to 6,000 visas every year and the visitors include pilgrims,�businessmen�and traders.

The flight will also make�Hyderabad�the first city in south�India�to be connected to�Tehran.

Mahan Air�currently operates four flights a week between�Tehran�and�Delhi�and two flights a week between�Tehran�and�Mumbai.