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.
Tehran's 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 57% growth in the number of foreign flights passing through Iranian airspace during the year under review.
A total of 168,418 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the period, which stood at 107,614 in the corresponding period of last year.
The IAC data do not include figures on 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 March 20, a total of 2.62 million passengers were transported by Iranian airlines on domestic routes to register a 31% YOY growth.
Takeoffs and landings posted a 10% decline to reach 22,810.
Over 22.68 million tons of cargos were handled during the same period, 31% more than the previous year's 17.28 million tons.
Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 1.03 million of the total number of passengers, 28% higher than in the same period of last year.
Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 439,649 and 167,573 passengers, respectively.
Mehrabad handled 8,775 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.
Iranian airlines operated a total of 684 flights from Tehran to Mashhad during the month to March 20, transporting 94,942 passengers. The Mashhad-Tehran route topped the list of most travelled air routes.
A total of 93,492 passengers were flown from Mashhad to Tehran during the month under review via 680 direct flights.
Ahvaz-Tehran route came next with the highest number of monthly flights, followed by Tehran-Shiraz and Tehran-Bandar Abbas operations.
A 77% rise was registered in the total number of foreign flights using Iranian airspace during the month ending March 20.
A record high of 17,840 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the month, which stood at 10,095 during the same period of the year before.
The above figures pertain to domestic flights only, as IAC does not report on international traffic.
International, New Year Holiday Traffic
All international flights in Tehran are served by IKIA and all domestic flights by Mehrabad.
The head of Iran Airports Company 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 Ministry of Roads & Urban Development.
During Norouz (Iranian New Year holidays from March 16 to 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 during the holidays, making it the country’s busiest airport during the period.
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 due to travel restrictions for containment of Covid-19 pandemic, none of these flights were operated at full capacity so that social distancing could be observed,” 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 with this number of passengers.
Some 111 cargo flight were operated by IKIA, which transported 2,988 tons of freight and parcels.
