Domestic Air Traffic Surges 51%

EghtesadOnline: Passenger traffic in Iranian airports registered a year-on-year rise of 51% in the current fiscal year’s two months (March 21-May 21), as 5.38 million passengers were flown internally by Iranian airlines.

News ID: ۷۸۷۸۶۱

20 June 2022

Iran Airports Company’s data also show takeoffs and landings posted a 1% year-on-year increase to 48,036.

The significant rise in the number of passengers followed the lifting of restrictions related to Covid-19, as airlines enforced social distancing to fend off the pandemic.

Over 47.15 million tons of cargo were shipped during the period under review, marking a 56% year-on-year rise.

Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 2.11 million of the total number of passengers, 50% more than in the corresponding period of last year.

Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 961,608 and 392,907 passengers respectively.

Mehrabad handled 18,457 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.

IAC data also indicate an 81% growth in the number of foreign flights passing through Iranian airspace.

A total of 39,040 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the period, which stood at 21,510 in the corresponding period of last year.

The IAC data do not include figures from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, which account for the largest number of international flights operated to/from Iran.

Monthly Review

During the month ending May 21, a total of 2.75 million passengers were transported by Iranian airlines on domestic routes to register a 64% YOY rise.

Takeoffs and landings posted 5% growth to 24,174. Over 22.19 million tons of cargos were handled during the period, 76% more than the previous year's 12.6 million tons.

Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 1.07 million of the total number of passengers, 62% higher than in the same period of last year.

Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 510,804 and 205,809 passengers, respectively.

Mehrabad handled 9,227 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than those of other Iranian airports.

Iranian airlines operated a total of 893 flights from Tehran to Mashhad during the month to May 21, transporting 121,854 passengers. The Mashhad-Tehran route topped the list of most traveled air routes.

A total of 122,660 passengers were flown from Mashhad to Tehran during the month under review via 890 direct flights.

Kish-Tehran route came next with the highest number of monthly flights, followed by Tehran-Shiraz and Tehran-Ahvaz operations.

A 97% rise was registered in the total number of foreign flights using Iranian airspace during the month ending May 21.

A record high of 19,890 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the month, which stood at 10,084 during the same period of the previous year.

The above figures pertain to domestic flights only, as IAC does not report on international traffic.

Notably, flights operated during the month under review saw an average delay of 90 minutes.

Officials blame weather conditions for the delayed flights but, as ISNA reported, technical problems stemming from unilateral US sanctions that prohibit sales of spare parts are the main reason for the delayed flights.

Fiscal 2021-22 in Review

Domestic passenger traffic in Iranian airports registered a year-on-year growth of 24% in the fiscal 2021-22 (ended March 20), as 28.03 million passengers were flown internally by Iranian airlines during the period.

Iran Airports Company’s data also show takeoffs and landings posted a 17% year-on-year rise to 304,893.

Over 232.76 million tons of cargos were shipped during the period under review, marking a 34% rise year-on-year.

Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 10.9 million of the total number of passengers, 19% more than in the corresponding period of last year.

Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 4.61 million and 1.9 million passengers respectively.

Mehrabad handled 115,236 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.

IAC data also indicate a 57% growth in the number of foreign flights passing through Iranian airspace during the year.

A total of 168,418 foreign aircraft flew over Iran's airspace during the period, which stood at 107,614 in the corresponding period of last year.

The head of Iran Airports Company had earlier said the number of international flights registered a 192% rise to 47,096 last year.

“The monthly average for international flights stood at 3,925 in the fiscal 2021-22,” Hamid Reza Seyyedi was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.

During Norouz (Iranian New Year) holidays (March 16-April 2), a total of 2.37 million passengers were transported by Iranian airports, registering a 46% rise compared with the similar period of the year before, according to Seyyedi.

A total of 728,000 passengers were transported via Mehrabad International Airport, making it the country’s busiest airport during the holidays.

The number of flights during holidays stood at 19,000, registering a 3% YOY decline.

“During the previous year’s New Year holidays, around 20,000 flights were operated, but as a result of travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, none of these flights operated at full capacity in order to observe social distancing,” he added.

Seyyedi noted that the busiest Iranian airports following Mehrabad during this year’s Norouz holidays were Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz and Isfahan international airports.

Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport transported 454,426 passengers via 2,857 flights.

Around 8,868 tons of cargo were also transported by these passengers.

Moreover, 111 cargo flights were operated by IKIA, which transported 2,988 tons of freight and parcels.

All international flights in Tehran are served by IKIA and all domestic flights by Mehrabad.