Flying your own private plane in Iran might seem an expensive luxury reserved only for the elite and rich, but the emerging interest for new recreation has now the potential to draw people even with middle incomes to experience adventure in the high skies. It is now possible to spend an hour flying a personal airplane for $66 an hour. But of course, this is after completing the required training hours.
‘’By going through 60 hours of theoretical and 50 hours of practical courses, applicants can receive their private pilot licenses from the Civil Aviation Organization,’’ says Abdollah Younosi manager of Tehran’s Azadi Airport. The training takes three months and the minimum age should be 15 years and, according to Younosi, women have no restrictions for signing up for the course.
According to eghtesadnews- a popular economic news website, the activity is increasing not only in Tehran, but also in other cities like Mashhad, Shiraz and Kish Island. The training also costs around $66 per hour.
“Learners do an experimental flight before officially taking off the aircraft on their own and then make some flights to other cities with their instructor.”
Demand Increasing
The demand for recreational flights is steadily increasing but Younosi says the purpose of owning a private airplane “should be to indulge in fun activity.” There are 190 private airplanes in the country - 100 of which are kept at Azadi Airport. Eghtesadnews reports that it not clear whether these airplanes mostly belong to citizens or officials.
‘’ Right now, there are only two-seat private aircraft in Iran and if we want private jets with extra seats, we will have to import them,’’ Younosi says. He says the existing private fleet has been imported or assembled in the country.
Owning a private plane could cost between $66,000 and $200,000 plus extra charges for monthly maintenance. They can be purchased through the Civil Aviation Organization’s website. But one can also rent an airplane for the modest price of $600 a month- a price that Younosi claims to be lower than the rates of a parking garage.
