Domestic passenger traffic in Iranian airports registered a year-on-year rise of 29% in the current Iranian year’s first seven months (March 21-Oct. 22), as 18.62 million passengers were flown internally by Iranian airlines, the latest data released by Iran Airports Company show.
This is while the number of takeoffs and landings posted a 10% year-on-year fall during the period to 163,482.
The significant rise in passenger traffic, despite the decline in the number of flights, is because restrictions related to Covid-19 were eased after airlines had been enforcing social distancing to fend off the pandemic for over two years.
Over 155.34 million tons of cargo were shipped during the period, marking a 33% year-on-year rise.
Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport accounted for over 6.89 million of the total number of passengers, 24% more than in the corresponding period of last year.
Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 3.73 million and 1.22 million passengers respectively.
Mehrabad handled 60,706 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.
The above figures pertain to domestic flights only, as IAC does not report on international traffic.
All international flights in Tehran are served by IKIA and all domestic flights by Mehrabad.
Monthly Review
The IAC data show that in the seventh month of the current Iranian year (Sept. 23-Oct. 22), a total of 2.6 million passengers were transported by Iranian airlines on domestic routes, registering a 5% year-on-year rise.
Takeoffs and landings posted a 14% decline to 22,908.
Over 21.45 million tons of cargo were handled during the period, 2% more than the previous year's 21.11 million tons.
Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 955,349 of the total number of transported passengers, unchanged YOY. It handled 8,556 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than those of other Iranian airports.
Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 549,264 and 171,117 passengers, respectively.
Iranian airlines operated a total of 847 flights from Mashhad to Tehran during the month ending Oct. 22, transporting 115,944 passengers to top the list of air routes with the highest passenger traffic.
A total of 113,609 passengers were flown from Tehran to Mashhad during the month under review via 843 direct flights.
Kish-Tehran route came next with the highest number of monthly flights, followed by Tehran-Kish and Tehran-Shiraz operations.
Average Delay of 86 Minutes Per Flight
Domestic flights in the seventh month of the current Iranian year (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) were delayed by an average of 86 minutes.
Around 29% of flights were delayed during the period: The longest average delay in flights was registered by Iran Air with 118 minutes and the shortest by Asajet with 38 minutes.
Technical issues are said to be the main cause of the long delays, as Iran’s aviation sector has for years been facing US sanctions that prevented it from procuring vital spare parts for repair.
According to the Association of Iranian Airlines, the country has 333 airplanes at its disposal, more than half of which are grounded, the Persian daily Shargh reported recently.
Officials and experts estimate that planes grounded at airports account for 50-70% of Iran’s total air fleet.
Hamid Ghavabesh, the former head of Iranian Airlines Association, put the number of operating aircraft at 157.
Arman Bayat, an aviation analyst, told the Persian economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad that the number of operational aircraft was 148, such that 44-47% of Iran's commercial aircraft were operational and the rest were grounded.
“Note that operational planes are not capable of flying for a long time; many of these planes fly only twice, the total efficiency of Iranian planes is between three and four hours; sometimes they are incapable of flying after one roundtrip flight,” Ghavabesh said.
“This is while the young planes of Iran's neighboring airlines, such as the airlines of Arab countries and Turkey, are able to fly for a full day.”
The former head of the Iranian Airlines Association noted that the average age of planes in the Arab countries and Turkey is five to six years whereas the average age of Iranian aircraft is estimated to be 28 years; some older aircraft are also among Iran’s air fleet.
“Except for the limited number of planes purchased after the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [Iran nuclear deal], there is no new aircraft in the Iranian air fleet,” he added.
Fifteen planes were purchased after JCPOA, 13 of which were small ones manufactured by ATR Aircraft. In other words, only 4.5% of Iranian aircraft are new.
Low productivity and frequent repairs of Iran’s old planes have increased the prices of air tickets; the operation of small airlines is not economically feasible, pushing some of them to the brink of bankruptcy. They are renting or selling their old aircraft to other larger airlines.
“Supplying parts is very expensive. Purchasing aircraft parts under sanctions at times imposes a 30% higher cost on airlines. Some aircraft parts dealers take advantage of sanctions and sell substandard parts to Iranian airlines, which raise the risks of air transportation in the country,” Ghavabesh said.
Fiscal 2021-22 in Review
Domestic passenger traffic in Iranian airports registered a rise of 24% in 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. The figure stood at 107,614 in the corresponding period of last year.
Notably, a total of 728,000 passengers were transported via Mehrabad International Airport during New Year holidays or Norouz (March 16-April 2), making it the country’s busiest airport during the period under review.
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, yet, 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.
The busiest Iranian airports after 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 in 2,857 flights.
Around 8,868 tons of cargo were also transported with this number of passengers.
Moreover, 111 cargo flight were operated by IKIA, which transported 2,988 tons of freight and parcels.
