Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday has resumed direct flights to Iran after a five-year gap to develop people-to-people contacts and boost tourism industry.

Spokesperson Abdullah Khan told that the first PIA flight departed from Lahore to Mashhad on Wednesday night, while direct flight operation from Karachi to Mashhad will begin today.

In a post on social-networking website Twitter, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that the two countries have agreed to promote air cooperation.