Mehrabad International Airport

Mehrabad International Airport (Persian: فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد‎) (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII), is an international airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Until 2007 and before construction of Tehran’s larger new airport, Mehrabad was Tehran's primary airport in both international and domestic traffic, but after 2007 International flights transferred to Imam Khomeini International Airport. All International flights in Tehran are currently served by Imam Khomeini International Airport and all domestic flights are served by this airport. Although only domestic flights are served by this airport, in 2016 Mehrabad Airport handled 16,678,351 passengers and was the busiest airport in Iran in terms of passengers. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran and is one of the bases of the Iranian Air Force.

Mehrabad International Airport

فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OwnerGovernment of Iran
OperatorIran Airports Company
Iranian Air Force
Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Iranian Police Aviation
ServesTehran metropolitan area
LocationTehran, Iran
Opened1938[1]
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL3,962 ft / 1,208 m
Coordinates35°41′21″N 51°18′49″E
Websitemehrabad.airport.ir
Map
THR
Location of airport in Iran
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 1,556 474 Concrete
11L/29R 13,098 3,992 Asphalt
11R/29L 13,248 4,038 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft Movements142,037 7%
Passengers17,464,216 7%
Cargo120,467 tons 8%

History
Mehrabad Airport in 1958
A view of Mehrabad Airport (2018)
Mehrabad Airport Terminal 1&2
Mehrabad International Airport at night
Mehrabad Airport(2019)
Airbus a340 airplane known as "Persian Gulf" (owned by Aseman Airlines) in Mehrabad Airport (2019)

The airport was used for the first time as an airfield for aviation club planes in 1938, then after World War II along with becoming internationally recognized by joining Iran civil aviation organization to the ICAO in 1949, the airport also became an air force base.

Newly delivered Republic F-84G Thunderjets (fighter) and Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (trainer) arrived, May 1957 and April 1956, respectively. Iranian Air Force. In 1955 just after construction of first asphalt paved runway a new terminal building (Current Terminal 1) for both international and domestic flights was designed and constructed. Among the designers of the initial modern buildings of the airport was the famous architect William Pereira.[3][4]

The new Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) was scheduled to open in 2004 with international flights gradually changing from Mehrabad starting with flights to countries bordering the Persian Gulf. After IKA's initial opening in May 2004, due to complications, it was not until the end of 2007 that the plan to move the majority of international flights to the new airport was completed.[5] All international flights have now been moved to IKA.[6]

In June 2020, the airport released renovation plans, which Included IranAir takeover of Terminal 1&2, leaving Terminal 4&6 for other Airlines. It also included new gate systems for Terminal 4&6 and making 4 for departures, and 6 for arrivals. lastly, if renovations succeed Tehran might reconsider reopening Passenger International flights from Mehrabad Airport. on June 12, Iran's parliament requested that Tehran airport to be renamed after general Soleimani, which got declined by the IATA to prevent confusion for Ahwaz International Airport which was named after General Soleimani.


Facilities

Mehrabad International Airport consists of six terminals:

  • VIP Terminal is used for Meraj Airlines for Governmental flights.
  • CIP Terminal can be used at a passenger's request. The Terminal is open to all requests.
  • Terminal 1 is only used for the departures of Kish Air and Zagros Airlines.
  • Terminal 2 handles all flights of Iran Air, Iran Air Tours, Meraj Airlines, Qeshm Air and Ata Airlines and for arrivals of Kish Airlines and Zagros Airlines, but all the Jet bridges are only being used for Meraj Airlines. It also used for all cargo operations.
  • Terminals 4 and 6 handle departures and arrivals respectively - for all other airlines.
  • Terminals 3 and 5 are only used during the peak time Hajj seasons.
  • Terminal Crew is used for the flight crews of all airlines.

An aircraft engineering and maintenance company Fajr Ashian, has a maintenance hangar adjacent to main airport premises. The hangar is linked to Mehrabad Airport through a taxiway crossing "Tehran-Karaj" Highway. Fajr Ashian takes care of Aircraft of many companies e.g. Iran Air, Mahan Air, Meraj Airlines.


Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
ATA Airlines Ahwaz, Ardabil, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Gorgan, Isfahan, Jiroft, Kermanshah, Kish Island, Mashhad, Sabzevar, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Zabol, Zahedan
Caspian Airlines Ahwaz, Asalouyeh, Chabahar/Konarak, Dezful, Isfahan, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Shiraz
Iran Air Abadan, Ahwaz, Arak, Ardabil, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Dezful, Gorgan, Hamedan, Ilam, Isfahan, Jahrom, Kalaleh, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khoy, Kish Island, Lar, Mashhad, Noshahr, Parsabad, Qeshm Island, Ramsar, Rasht, Sanandaj, Sari, Shahroud, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan
Iran Air Tours Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil,[7] Asalouyeh, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd, Zahedan
Iran Aseman Airlines Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Asalouyeh, Bam, Bandar Abbas, Bojnord, Bushehr, Gorgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Kish Island, Lamerd, Lar, Lavan Island, Mashhad, Qeshm Island, Ramsar, Rasht, Sabzevar, Sanandaj, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yasouj, Yazd
Karun Airlines Abadan, Aghajari, Ahwaz, Dezful, Isfahan, Kharg Island, Mahshahr, Rasht, Shiraz, Yazd
Kish Air Abadan, Ahwaz, Asalouyeh, Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Kish Island, Mashhad, Qeshm Island, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd
Mahan Air Asalouyeh, Bam, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bojnord, Dezful, Gachsaran, Ilam, Isfahan, Jiroft, Kerman, Kermanshah, Kharg Island, Khorramabad, Kish Island, Mashhad, Qeshm Island, Rafsanjan, Sabzevar, Sari, Shahrekord, Shahroud, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabas, Zabol, Zahedan
Meraj Airlines Bandar Abbas, Dezful, Kermanshah, Kish Island, Mashhad, Qeshm Island, Shiraz, Tabriz
Qeshm Airlines Abadan, Ahwaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Gorgan, Isfahan, Kish Island, Mahshahr, Mashhad, Qeshm Island, Rasht, Sanandaj, Shiraz, Urmia, Zahedan
Saha Airlines Mashhad, Shiraz
Sepehran Airlines Asalouyeh, Mashhad, Shiraz
Taban Air Ahwaz, Isfahan, Kish Island, Mashhad, Sahand/Maragheh, Shiraz
Zagros Airlines Abadan, Ahwaz, Isfahan, Kish Island, Mahshahr, Mashhad, Shiraz, Zahedan

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Fars Air Qeshm Bishkek, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen
Iran Air Cargo Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Qeshm Island, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Kish Island, Lar, Mashhad, Rasht, Sari, Shiraz, Tabriz, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan
Iran Aseman Airlines Cargo Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Asalouyeh, Bam, Birjand, Bojnord, Bushehr, Gachsaran, Gorgan, Qeshm Island, Ilam, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Kish Island, Khoy, Lamerd, Lar, Mashhad, Rafsanjan, Ramsar, Rasht, Sabzevar, Sahand, Sanandaj, Shiraz, Tabas, Tabriz, Yasouj, Yazd
Mahan Air Cargo Ardabil, Asalouyeh, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Dezful, Iranshahr, Isfahan, Kerman, Khorramabad, Kish Island, Mahshahr, Mashhad, Shiraz, Sirjan, Zabol
Syrian AirDamascus

Statistics

Annual traffic
Annual Passenger Traffic[8]
Year Passengers % Change
201012,094,218
201113,192,764 9%
201213,823,924 5%
201312,667,644 8%
201413,791,033 9%
201513,515,693 2%
201616,327,359 21%
201717,464,216 7%

Other facilities

The airport is home to the head offices of Iran Air and the Iran Civil Aviation Organization.[9][10][11] In addition the Iranian Airports Holding Company also has its head office at Mehrabad Airport, nearby Terminal 2.[12]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 15 March 1974 a Sterling Airways Sud Aviation Caravelle suffered a landing gear failure. As the aircraft was taxiing, the right main landing gear failed, causing the right wing to collapse and catch fire. 15 passengers were killed in the accident.
  • On 5 December 1974 a roof collapsed, killing 17 and injuring dozens more.[13]
  • On 8 February 1993 a mid-air collision occurred between Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154M and IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24 killing all 133 people on board both aircraft involved.
  • On 20 April 2005, a Boeing 707-3J9C had an accident while landing in Mehrabad airport. After touchdown on runway 29L problems with the undercarriage (failure of landing gear or a burst tire) caused the Boeing 707 to slide off the runway into the Kan River. Three passengers were killed after they fell in the river during the evacuation.
  • On 19 June 2005 a Northwest Airlines DC-10 en route from Mumbai to Amsterdam made an emergency landing at Mehrabad Airport due to an indication of a fire in the cargo hold, which turned out to be a false alarm. The plane left 8 hours later without incident.[14][15]
  • On 6 December 2005 an Iranian Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed in Tehran shortly after taking off from the airport.
  • On 2 January 2008, an Iran Air Fokker 100 (EP-IDB) plane carrying 100 passengers skidded off the runway after part of its wing caught fire when attempting to take off on a domestic flight to Shiraz Airport. The landing gear disintegrated and the ensuing fire partially consumed the wings. No one was injured in the accident, which happened around 07:30 IRST amid heavy snowfall at the airport.[16]
  • On 10 August 2014 Sepahan Airlines Flight 5915, an HESA IrAn-140, crashed shortly after takeoff from Mehrabad International Airport. The aircraft experienced engine malfunction and attempted a return to the airport 4 minutes after takeoff, but was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a residential area. 39 people were killed and 9 were injured.[17]
  • On 15 October 2015 a Mahan Air Boeing 747 en route to Bandar Abbas in southern Iran lost pieces of an engine after take-off, returning for a successful emergency landing. None of the 300 people on board were injured.[18]
  • On 19 March 2019 a Fokker 100 (registration: EP-IDG) had an emergency landing with its main landing gear not extended. Nobody was injured in the accident.

Access

The airport is served by two stations of the Tehran Metro:

  • The 2011 video game Battlefield 3 features a mission titled "Going Hunting" which requires the player to carry out aerial attacks on the airport.[19]
  • The 2012 movie "Argo", directed by Ben Affleck also features this airport.[20][21]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2014-08-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Traffic Figures". Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. "Thomas Kellner - Photography in Art: Pereira, William". Tkellner.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  4. The Modern Airport Terminal: New Approaches to Airport Architecture. Brian Edwards. Taylor & Francis, 2005. ISBN 978-0-415-24812-9 pp.72
  5. "Iran international flights switch to new airport". The Economic Times. October 28, 2007. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  6. Rezaee, Siavash (2007-10-30). "President of National Civil Aviation Organization in an interview with "Iran": small airlines will be eliminated" (in Persian). Iran-e Eqtesadi. p. 2.
  7. "پروازهای فرودگاه اردبیل به تهران افزایش یافت". سایت خبری خطوط هوایی ایران و جهان. Archived from the original on 2015-05-26.
  8. Mehrabad Airport. "News release". mehrabad.airport.ir in Persian.
  9. "ارتباط با هما Archived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." IranAir. Retrieved on 12 January 2011. "آدرس : تهران ، جاده مخصوص كرج ، بلوار فرودگاه ،ادارات مركزي هما ، ساختمان پشتيباني ، طبقه دوم ، اتاق 217"
  10. "Contact IranAir Archived May 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." IranAir. Retrieved on 12 January 2011. "Address: No.221,Second Floor,Public Relations,Support Services BLd., IranAir H.Q.,Mehrabad Airport,Tehran,Iran."
  11. "Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report Form New Edition Archived March 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." Iranian Civil Aviation Organization. Retrieved on 12 January 2011. "vice president of civil Aviation in flight standard, Civil Aviation Organization, Mehrabad international airport, Tehran, Iran."
  12. "Contact Us." Iranian Airports Holding Company. Retrieved on 31 January 2012. "آدرس:تهران - فرودگاه مهرآباد -جنب ترمينال 2 - ساختمان مركزي شركت فرودگاه‌هاي كشور"
  13. The Iranian History Article: The Roof Collapsed At Mehrabad Airport
  14. "CNN.com - Transcripts". cnn.com.
  15. "Episode 4: Bo Corby & NWA Flight 41 into Tehran". flightpodcast.com.
  16. "Iran Air plane skids off runway, passengers safe". AFP. Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  17. "At Least 39 Killed in Iran Plane Crash". Reuters. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  18. "747 plane engine snaps off in Iran flight, no injuries". msn.com.
  19. http://www.howcast.com/videos/497498-battlefield-3-walkthrough-part-7-going-hunting/
  20. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21003432
  21. http://bzfilm.com/talks-interviews/farshad-farahat-on-working-with-ben-affleck-getting-into-iran-film-industry/

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