More than 12.6 million passengers and 127,861 tons of cargos were transported during the period, indicating a 9% and 7% decline respectively year-on-year, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development's news service reported citing data from IAC.
Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport was the busiest Iranian airport during the three-month period, with 30,547 takeoffs and landings, registering a 9% decline, while transporting 3.64 million passengers, which marks a 7% decline YOY.
According to Mirsaeed Safinia, the airport’s director general, the airport transported more than 26,000 tons of cargo during the period, Financial Tribune reported.
Mashhad International Airport came next with 13,981 takeoffs and landings that handled 2.08 million passengers, followed by Imam Khomeini International Airport with 10,829 takeoffs and landings and the transportation of 1.73 million passengers.
Other busy airports in the country included Shiraz International Airport, Kish International Airport, Ahvaz International Airport, Isfahan International Airport, Tabriz International Airport, Bandar Abbas International Airport and Abadan International Airport.
On the other hand, Kalaleh Airport in Golestan Province was the least busy airport in Q1 with only two takeoffs and landings, and the transport of four passengers.
As the report shows 86,844 takeoffs and landings were made by domestic flights during the three months, down 9% compared with the similar period of last year. More than 10.22 million passengers were transported domestically, indicating a 7% decrease YOY.
Mehrabad International Airport, considering the above-mentioned figures, was the busiest airport in conducting domestic flights, followed by Mashhad International Airport with 11,608 takeoffs and landings and the transport of 1.74 million passengers; and Shiraz International Airport with 6,728 takeoffs and landings and the transport of 646,575 passengers.
Other busy airports that conducted the most domestic flights were the international airports of Kish, Ahvaz, Isfahan, Bandar Abbas, Tabriz, Abadan and Asalouyeh.
On the international front, 16,039 takeoffs and landings were registered, down by 21% YOY. A total of 2.38 million passengers were transported to and from overseas destinations, down 17% year-on-year.
In this regard, IKIA was the busiest airport with 1,688 takeoffs and landings, down 22% YOY, and the transport of 1.73 million passengers, down 16% YOY.
Mashhad International Airport was the second busiest airport with 2,373 takeoffs and landings, while it transported 340,743 passengers, followed by Shiraz International Airport with 908 takeoffs and landings and the transport of 105,424 passengers.
Iran Airports Company is an arm of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, which manages 54 airports across the country.