Statistics released by Iran Airports Company show the aviation sector is recovering from heavy losses suffered since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Domestic passenger traffic in Iranian airports registered a year-on-year growth of 23% during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year (March 21, 2021-Jan. 20), as 22.76 million passengers were flown internally by Iranian airlines during the period.
The new IAC data also show takeoffs and landings posted a 24% year-on-year rise to 258,961.
Over 185.7 million tons of cargos were shipped during the period under review, marking a 33% rise year-on-year.
Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 8.8 million of the total number of passengers, 17% more than in the corresponding period of last year.
Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 3.73 million and 1.56 million passengers respectively.
Mehrabad handled 97,525 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.
IAC data also indicate 51% growth in the number of foreign flights passing through Iranian airspace during the 10 months under review.
A total of 133,274 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the period, which stood at 88,208 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 10th month of the current fiscal year (Dec. 22, 2021-Jan. 20), a total of 2.67 million passengers were transported by Iranian airlines on domestic routes to register a 47% YOY growth.
Takeoffs and landings posted a 2% growth to reach 23,727.
Over 23.29 million tons of cargos were handled during the same period, 40% more than the previous year's 15.36 million tons.
Mehrabad International Airport accounted for 1.05 million of the total number of passengers, 39% higher than the same period of last year.
Mashhad International Airport and Shiraz International Airport followed with 451,710 and 179,847 passengers, respectively.
Mehrabad handled 9,018 landings and takeoffs during the period, considerably higher than other Iranian airports.
Iranian airlines operated a total of 757 flights from Tehran to Mashhad during the month to Jan. 20, transporting 100,278 passengers. The Mashhad-Tehran route topped the list of most travelled air routes.
A total of 101,764 passengers were flown from Mashhad to Tehran during the month under review via 751 direct flights.
Tehran-Kish route came next with the highest number of monthly flights, followed by Shiraz-Tehran and Tehran-Ahvaz operations.
A 56% rise was registered in the total number of foreign flights using Iranian airspace during the month ending Jan. 20.
A record high of 18,290 foreign flights flew over Iran's airspace during the month, which stood at 11,699 during the same period of the year before.
The National Coronavirus Headquarters’ mandate that required airlines to board passengers at 60% of capacity expired on Saturday meaning they can now use their full capacity.
The restriction was last enforced in the wake of the Omicron surge in Iran.
Hit by Covid-19
The new decade began with numerous countries shutting down their borders in response to the arrival of the Covid-19 outbreak. This was subsequently followed by the introduction of multiple restrictions and regulations that limited the free movement of individuals in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
According to Statista, the aviation industry was impacted greatly by the spread of coronavirus, with the number of global passengers decreasing drastically in 2020. Over 4.5 billion passengers traveled globally before the pandemic, which number fell to roughly 1.8 billion after the virus began to spread.
Since the pandemic started, 58% of respondents have boarded a flight in 2021. Individuals also reported that the cabin cleanliness and the airline’s reputation were the biggest factors influencing their airline’s choice in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The sharp decline in global travel led to a drastic financial performance in the aviation industry. The year 2020 ended with commercial airlines’ passenger revenue amounting to $189 billion. This illustrated a significant decrease relative to the $581 billion reported before the pandemic.
The aviation industry is estimated to have experienced revenue losses amounting to $370 billion in the same period. Additionally, airports were greatly affected, reporting revenue losses amounting to $121.8 billion in 2020 and a further loss of $111.4 billion is estimated for 2021.
Though the commercial aviation took a large blow, global air freight traffic reduced slightly after the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By 2022, air freight traffic is expected to grow to 69.3 million tons, an increase relative to the 56.1 million tons reported when the virus spread in 2020. In addition, revenue generated by cargo airlines grew substantially during the pandemic, amounting to $128.8 billion in 2020.
