Skúli Mogensen, the founder and owner of WOW Air, the Icelandic budget airline that now flies to Reykjavik from Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, spends a lot of time in the air.

“Some say I live on an airplane,” he said. “I fly, on average, once a week.” When he isn’t traveling for work, Mr. Mogensen is based in Iceland and in London, but he tries to explore one new country each year.

“I just got back from a trip to Iran, which was very interesting,” Mr. Mogensen said on the phone from Reykjavik. “I met a lot of smart, open-minded people who as soon as they are given the right opportunities will thrive. I think there is an overwhelming understanding that they will need to continue to open up.”

He added that the capital was one of a few surprises he found in the country. “Tehran was far more developed and built up than I had anticipated,” he said. “One and a half hours away from Tehran you have huge mountains with amazing skiing. Most people think of Iran as a desert, but they actually have some of the best skiing in the world.”