Iran Airports Company registered 262,235 takeoffs and landings during the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Oct. 22), which marked an 11% decline compared with the similar period of last year.
More than 31.65 million passengers and around 321,157 tons of cargos were transported during the period, indicating a 15% and 13% decline respectively year-on-year, IAC's latest data published on its website show.
As for domestic flights, 215,824 takeoffs and landings were registered, down 10% compared with the similar period of last year. More than 24.76 million passengers and 189,318 tons of cargo were transported domestically, both indicating a 15% decline YOY.
On the international front, 46,411 takeoffs and landings were registered, down by 14% YOY. A total of close to 6.89 million passengers and 131,834 tons of cargo were transported to and from overseas destinations, posting a 14% and 11% decrease respectively year-on-year.
Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport was the busiest during the period, with 75,534 takeoffs and landings showing a 10% fall.
More than 8.76 million passengers and around 61,110 tons of cargo were handled at this airport.
Mashhad International Airport was the second busiest airport during the seven-month period with 39,464 takeoffs and landings, which indicate a 15% decrease. It transported more than 5.71 million passengers and 56,025 tons of cargo.
Imam Khomeini International Airport registered 31,238 takeoffs and landings with a 13% decline, while transporting 4.85 million passengers and 92,423 tons of cargo, ranking third on the list of Iran’s busiest airports.
An average of 117 passengers boarded each flight over the period. Kerman Airport with an average of 154 and Hamedan Airport with 11 passengers on each flight had the highest and lowest passenger density over the period.
Each flight also carried an average of 1.13 tons of cargo during the seven months.
Iran Airports Company is an arm of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, which manages 54 airports across the country.
The downturn may partly be attributed to the end of the summer high season by the start of the period, but it also has to do with the fact that international airlines started to wind down their businesses in Iran after the United States announced in May that it had unilaterally decided to pull out of the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers (including the US) in 2015.
The withdrawal of US from JCPOA, criticized by the international community, threw a spanner in the works of Iran's burgeoning aviation sector. International airlines that resumed their services following the nuclear deal pulled out of the Islamic Republic one by one.
British Airways ended its five times weekly services to Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport in August to join Air France and KLM, which had both previously announced their withdrawal on their respective routes from Paris CDG and Amsterdam.
