Iran has several private and public airline companies in operation. The oldest is the Iranian Airways Company, founded in 1944 (known as Iran Air since 1961).
As of June 2009, Iranian planes fly 45 international flight routes. Most of the fleet of Iranian airlines today consist of old Boeings and used or leased Airbus and regional jets such as British Aerospace 146 and ATR 72 and Fokker 100. Economic sanctions from the United States prevents Iran from purchasing most new western made aircraft to update its rapidly aging fleet. This has resulted in a series of ongoing disasters and incidents.Sara Shams | Tehran | 29 January 2009 Because of this, in the last 25 years there have been 17 plane crashes, and 1500 deaths (From 2000 to 2006, 11 Iranian plane crashes claimed about 700 lives).
Iran has initiated manufacturing aircraft on its own such as the IR.AN-140. A number of 108 airliners have been added to the fleet of Iranian passenger planes during the last five years. As of July 2015, Iran had 251 commercial planes with 41,218 seats and 6 cargo planes, many (around 100) of which are not functional because of a lack of spare parts. In 2021, Iranian media reported than 50% of Iran's fleet is grounded because of lack of spare parts and other technical problems.
In 2016, Iran announced its intention to buy over 200 heavy airplanes from Boeing and Airbus at a cost of more than $50 billion. This, in addition to more planned orders of 100 medium-range planes to Japan's Mitsubishi, Brazil's Embraer and Canada's Bombardier. Iran says these deals include authorization to maintain these planes inside of Iran, including the production of parts and training.
Iran plans to buy 400 passenger planes by 2025 worth some $20 billion, if US sanctions are lifted.Iran's aviation industry: Back in business?. CNN. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
During the summer of 2023 Iran had a scarcity of available plane tickets.
Commercial airlines Airline Image IATA ICAO Callsign Founded Hub Notes Air1Air INA INA AVICENNA 2023 Tehran–MehrabadAir Parsiana2025PlannedAir Shiraz2025Planned and sanctionedAna Air2021Anna Airlines2017 Asa Jet EP SJT ASA JET 2018 Tehran–MehrabadArdabil Airlines2022Ardabil Airportmay be defunctArta Airlines2022Or Arta AirArta Kish Pilot Training CenterTehranFlight schoolAtlas Air2025First Air Taxi in IranAVA AirlinesAXVAVA2024 ATA Airlines I3 TBZ ATAAIR 2010 Mashhad, Tabriz, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Caspian Airlines RV CPN CASPIAN 1993 Mashhad, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Chabahar Airlines - IRU CHABAHAR 1999 Tehran–MehrabadDiliran Airlines2019DOT One Airlines2025owned by Alibaba bus companyFly KishTKNTOUCAN2025 FlyPersia FP FPI FLYPERSIA 2018 Shiraz, Tehran–Mehrabad Ilam Airlines2020s Iran Air IR IRA IRANAIR 1961 Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Flag carrier of Iran Iran Airtour B9 IRB AIRTOUR 1973 Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Iran Aseman Airlines EP IRC ASEMAN 1980 Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–MehrabadIranian Helicopter Company1979Jey Air2021?JSKY Airlines - ISP ESPADANA2025ACMI Operator Karun Airlines NV IRG NAFT 1992 Ahvaz, Tehran–Mehrabad Kish Air Y9 IRK KISHAIR 1989 Kish, Mashhad, Tehran–Mehrabad Lad Airways??????2025Planned Mahan Air W5 IRM MAHAN AIR 1992 Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Largest Iranian airline.Makran Airlines2005Mehr AirwaysMEH2025Tehran Meraj Airlines JI MRJ MERAJ 2010 Mashhad, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Operating for the Government of IranNasim AirlinesNSN2016 (Commenced in 2025)Isfahan Shahid Beheshti International AirportNavid AirIRI1980 Pars Air PR PRS PARS AIR 2015 (Commenced in 2021) Shiraz, Tehran–Mehrabad Pouya Air PY PYA POUYA 2008 Tehran–Mehrabad Qeshm Air QB IRQ QESHM AIR 1996 Qeshm, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Raimon Airways - RAI RAIMON 2025 Tehran–MehrabadRoham Airways2023?Mashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport Saha Airlines IRZ SAHA 1990 Tehran–MehrabadSahhand AirlinesDHIRSSAHAND AIR2009 Sepehran Airlines IS SHI SHIRAZI 2017 Mashhad, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–MehrabadSoroush Air2025 Taban Air HH TBM TABAN AIR 2005 Mashhad, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Taftan AirlinesSBTTAFTAN 2004Zahedan AirportTara Helicopter Company1995Founded as airline with YAK 42 aircraft, rebranded to Tara Helicopter company in 1995Toos AirlinesIRTTOOS AIR2024Mashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport Varesh Airlines VR VRH SKY VICTOR 2017 Mashhad, Sari, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Yazd Airways DZD YAZD AIRWAYS 2022 Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran-Mehrabad Yazd Shahid Sadooghi Airport Zagros Airlines ZV IZG ZAGROS 2005 Mashhad, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tehran–Mehrabad Zahedan Air2026
Cargo airlines Airline Image IATA ICAO Callsign Founded Hub NotesAtlas Air Cargo2024Iran Air CargoIRIRAIRAN AIR1961?Iran Aseman Airlines Cargoformer 727 operator, now uses only belly space Payam Air 2F IRP PAYAMAIR 1996 Karaj-Payam Dormant Pouya Cargo Air PY PYA POUYA 2008 Tehran-Mehrabad
Further reading Manoucherians L., Illustrated Directory of civil aircraft of Iran 1924-2022, Top Kit Publishing, vol. 1, .
See also List of airlines List of defunct airlines of Iran List of defunct airlines of Asia Tourism in Iran List of airports in Iran Iran Aviation Industries Organization International Rankings of Iran in Transportation Iran airshow Iran Civil Aviation Organization List of Iranian Aviation Accidents and Incidents Transport in Iran
References
External links
Civil Aviation Organization of Iran Iran Airlines Fleet List