Want to learn more about airports and flights in Iran? Well, for a start, you should know that there are more than a hundred airports operating in Iran. However, all of them are publicly accessible. After all, there’s at least one operating airport in each province and about 50 airports with scheduled flights. Tehran (IKA) or Imam Khomeini International Airport is the biggest airport located in the south of Tehran, the capital city of Iran.
Did you know that the first airport in Iran was built the year that the world’s oldest operating airport, College Park Airport, was constructed? Masjed Soleiman Airport was established by the Englishmen who kept coming to Iran in search of black gold, oil, in 1909. The 22nd country with the most airports in the world? Yes, that’s Iran!
More than 20 airlines are operating to and from more than 50 destinations in different counties only in Imam Khomeini International Airport and the biggest one of which is Iran Air Airline.
Tehran Airports
Imam Khomeini Airport and Mehrabad Airport are the two main airports in Tehran, but none of them was the first airport built in Tehran. Tehran’s first airport was Ghale Morghi Airport (1922) which was turned into a military airbase later, and today, it’s a public park.
Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA)
The biggest airport of Iran, Imam Khomeini Airport, is located no more than 30 kilometers away from Tehran. It serves all the international flights in Tehran while Mehrabad Airport serves the domestic ones. Run in 2007, IKA was first constructed based on the idea given by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to serve as a transit airport to those flights connecting Europe and Asia.
With flights leading up to more than 40 destinations all around the world, this airport has been a host to more than 9 million passengers each year. It has two operating terminals, terminal no.1 and Salam terminal, and one non-functioning terminal called Iran-Shahr, which is a project in process. With all the three terminals functioning, the airport is going to be able to serve 30 million passengers annually.
Since IKA is the biggest airport in Iran, it has the most number of international and domestic airlines serving in the whole country. More than 40 active airlines are operating in this airport. Why is this airport top-rated? Simply because it’s one of the well-designed and well-equipped airports in the country and you can find whatever you need as a passenger in here.
You can easily access the airport via all the available means of public transportation such as taxi, bus, or metro. And there are all services such as CIP lounge, Internet access, shopping centers, hotels, parking lots, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Mehrabad International Airport
Built in 2007, Mehrabad Airport is the busiest airport in Iran although it serves only to domestic flights. The airport became an air force base by joining the Iran Civil Aviation Organization to ICAO, and it was named after the district it was placed in, Mehrabad. This airport is located on the west side of the city, and it’s accessible by all available means of public transportation.
There are six operating terminals and about 16 airlines serving more than 12 million people each year in Mehrabad Airport. There are banks, hotels, large parking lots, shopping centers, restaurants, coffee shops, and every other thing that a passenger needs.
International Airports in Iran
As you already know, an international airport is an airport which offers flights to or from at least one foreign country; but, how many of them are in Iran?
There are more than 20 international airports in Iran and here’s a list of them with their IATA* and ICAO* codes:
| AIRPORT | LOCATION | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahvaz International Airport | Ahvaz | OIAW | AWZ |
| Ayatollah Jami International Airport | Abadan | OIAA | ABD |
| Bandar Abbas International Airport | Bandar Abbas | OIKB | BND |
| Birjand International Airport | Birjand | OIMB | XBJ |
| Bushehr International Airport | Bushehr | OIBB | BUZ |
| Dasht-e Naz International Airport | Sari | OINZ | SRY |
| Hamedan International Airport | Hamedan | OIDD | HDM |
| Imam Khomeini International Airport | Tehran | OIHH | IKA |
| Kerman International Airport | Kerman | OIKK | KER |
| Kish International Airport | Kish Island | OIBK | KIH |
| Konarak International Airport | Chabahar | OIZC | ZBR |
| Larestan International Airport | Larestan | OISL | LRR |
| Maku International Airport | Maku | OITU | IMQ |
| Mehrabad International Airport | Tehran | OIII | THR |
| Parsabad-e Moghan International Airport | Parsabad | OITP | PFQ |
| Payam International Airport | Karaj | OIIP | PYK |
| Persian Gulf International Airport | Asalouyeh | OIBP | PGU |
| Qeshm (Dayrestan) International Airport | Qeshm Island | OIKQ | GSM |
| Qom International Airport | Qom | OIIQ | |
| Sardar-e Jangal International Airport | Rasht | OIGG | RAS |
| Shahid Ashrafi Esfehani International Airport | Kermanshah | OICC | KSH |
| Shahid Beheshti International Airport | Isfahan | OIFM | IFN |
| Shahid Dastgheib International Airport | Shiraz | OISS | SYZ |
| Shahid Hashemi Nejad International Airport | Mashhad | OIMM | MHD |
| Shahid Sadooghi International Airport | Yazd | OIYY | AZD |
| Tabriz International Airport | Tabriz | OITT | YBZ |
| Urmia International Airport | Urmia | OITR | OMH |
| Zahedan International Airport | Zahedan | OIZH | ZAH |
ICAO Code is a four-letter code identifying special information such as air traffic control and flight planning of a certain airport. While IATA Code is a three-letter code that identifies the location of an airport.
Visa On Arrival: Which Airports Issue Visa On Arrival?
f you’re up to get your visa upon landing at the airport, here’s some useful information for you:
Based on the latest edition of Iran Visa On Arrival Guide, the process of requesting a 30-day Iran visa and getting it at airports is straightforward, including no embassy interviews or invitation letters. The validity of Iran Visa on arrival can be extended to more 14 days in some cases. Also, there will be no Iran Visa stamp on your passport. You will receive a separate visa paper so that there won’t be any problem if you want to travel to the US in the future.
There are 13 airports in Iran that issue Iran Visa on arrival currently:
o Imam Khomeini International Airport
o Shahid Hashemi Nejad (Mashhad) International Airport
o Shahid Dastgheib (Shiraz) International Airport
o Tabriz International Airport
o Shahid Beheshti (Isfahan) International Airport
o Kish International Airport
o Qeshm (Dayrestan) International Airport
o Bandar Abbas International Airport
o Bushehr International Airport
o Ahvaz International Airport
o Larestan International Airport
o Urmia International Airport
o Kerman International Airport
Do not forget to make sure that you are from those countries that are eligible to apply for an Iran Visa on arrival. As stated by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizens of all countries except for the US, UK, Israel, Canada, Iraq, Colombia, Jordan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Somalia can apply for Iran Visa on arrival. However, People from mentioned nationalities are not banned (except for Israel) from visiting Iran and should refer to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and visit Iran via tours. You can collect more information, check Iran Visa on arrival required documents, and apply for it our Iran Visa application page.
Flights to and from Iran
You want to come to Iran, and you’re worried about your flight? Don’t be!
5 Iranian airlines (including Iran Air, etc.) and 21 international airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines support both direct and connecting flights to and from Iran.
Most of Iran’s international flights both take off and touch down at Imam Khomeini Airport. However, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, and Kish airports are also noteworthy in having a role in Iran’s international air traffic. Although less remarkable, Abadan, Ahvaz, and Zahedan airports can also potentially support international flights.
The national airline in Iran, Iran Air, carries flights to airports in Amsterdam, London, Milan, Ankara, Baku, Beijing, Beirut, Hamburg, Cologne, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Damascus, Doha, Mumbai, Dubai, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Paris, Tashkent, Vienna, and Hamburg.
Mahan Air also supports flights to airports in Almaty, Baghdad, Bangkok, Birmingham, Damascus, Delhi, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Ä°stanbul, Kabul, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, and Shanghai.
With Caspian Airlines, you can fly to Damascus, Dubai, Istanbul, Kyiv, and Yerevan while with Kish Air, you can only fly to Damascus, Dubai, and Istanbul.
Taban Air only supports international flights to the cities in Central Asia and the Middle East.
International Airlines carry flights from airports in Abu Dhabi, Athens, Baku, Damascus, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Dushanbe, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kabul, Kuwait City, Kyiv, Malaysia, Mazar-e Sharif, Moscow, Munich, Riyadh, Rome, Sharjah, Vienna, and Zürich to Iran.
There are no direct flights from North or South America to Iran, but connecting flights passing through Europe airports are the offered solution for that!
Busiest Airports in Iran
Well, of course, the first place goes to Mehrabad Airport of Tehran with more than 12 million passengers each year. Mashhad International Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport come in the second and third place respectively. Shiraz, Ahvaz, Kish, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Bandar Abbas Airports are also considerably busy.
Iran’s Most Famous Airlines
There are more than 15 airlines operating in Iran, but which ones are the best and most famous ones?
Iran Air (Homa) The title of the best and most famous airline in Iran belongs to Iran Air, as the national airline of Iran. This airline carries about 35 domestic flights in Iran and about 25 international flights in Europe and Asia right now.
Mahan Air This airline is one of the most prestigious airlines that operates more than 40 flights to airports in Iran and other countries.
Iran Aseman Airlines It is one of the most famous airlines among domestic flights with more than 35 destinations, and it offers regional international services.
Kish Air This airport operates flights to more than 25 airports in Iran and some other countries in the Middle East.