# Mehrabad International Airport

Mehrabad International Airport (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII) is an airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Prior to the construction of the larger Imam Khomeini International Airport in 2007, Mehrabad was Tehran's primary airport for both international and domestic traffic, but now serves only domestic flights. Despite this, in 2016, Mehrabad Airport was the busiest airport in Iran in terms of passengers, handling 16,678,351 passengers in total. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran and is one of the bases of the Iranian Air Force.

## History

The site was originally called Base-J and was the site of the Imperial Iranian Army's first Armored and Mechanized artillery forces provided by the Czechoslovakian Skoda Works, under the command of General Mahmud Mir-Djalali (grandfather of Pierre Omidyar).
The airport was used for the first time as an airfield for aviation club planes in 1938. During World War II it became a stopover point for the U.S. Air Transport Command.
After the war, along with becoming internationally recognized by joining the Iranian civil aviation organization to the ICAO in 1949, the airport also became an air force base.
In 1955 just after the construction of the first asphalt-paved runway, a new terminal building (current Terminal 1) for both international and domestic flights was designed and constructed. In April 1956 Lockheed T-33 Shooting Stars (T-33As) trainer aircraft began arriving for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. In May 1957 these were followed by Republic F-84 Thunderjet (F-84Gs) fighter. In 1961, Mehrabad Airport added a side building (current Terminal 2) used for arrival flights.
In May 1975, Iran Air started flying to New York via London with a Boeing 707. The airline launched direct service to New York using Boeing 747SPs the following June. The construction of a new airport commenced 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Tehran in 1977. The city was growing around Mehrabad, and the airfield was witnessing high amounts of traffic. Between 1970 and 1976, passenger counts had risen from 900,000 to 3,020,000. On 24 January 1979, the military took control of Mehrabad and other airports in the country in an attempt to prevent Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's return from exile in Paris. It ultimately relented and permitted his arrival at Mehrabad aboard a chartered Air France plane eight days later. At the beginning of the Iran–Iraq War in September 1980, Iraq carried out an air strike on the airport. In the 1980s, Mehrabad's route network spanned from Paris to Beijing.
By 2000, the airport was serving nine million passengers annually, in addition to military flights. Due to the congestion, airlines advised travellers to arrive at Mehrabad three hours prior to departure. The new airport, now called Imam Khomeini International Airport, opened in 2004. However, political factors delayed the transfer of all international flights to the new facility. Iran Air commenced service to Caracas via Damascus in March 2007. All international flights had moved to Imam Khomeini Airport by November 2007.
In June 2020, Mehrabad Airport announced a new terminal to replace Terminals 4 and 6. The new terminal is to have 20 gates (10 with jetbridges) and a new CIP Terminal. It is not known when construction will start.

## Operations

Mehrabad Airport only handles domestic flights. Between March 2022 and March 2023, the airport received 12.3 million passengers.

## Facilities

Mehrabad International Airport consists of 4 terminals:
* Terminal 1 handles departures and arrivals for Air1Air, Chabahar Airlines, Kish Air, Varesh Airlines, and Zagros Airlines.
* Terminal 2 handles departures and arrivals for Asa Jet, ATA Airlines, Iran Air, Iran Airtour, Karun Airlines, Meraj Airlines, and Qeshm Air.
* Terminal 4 handles departures for AVA Airlines, Caspian Airlines, FlyPersia, Iran Aseman Airlines, Mahan Air, Pars Air, Pouya Air, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Air, and Yazd Airways.
* Terminal 6 handles arrivals for AVA Airlines, Caspian Airlines, FlyPersia, Iran Aseman Airlines, Mahan Air, Pars Air, Pouya Air, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Air, and Yazd Airways.
Formerly, Mehrabad had a Terminal 3 that was used for Hajj Flights, which were transferred to Imam Khomeini. Later it was used for Cargo flights which were also transferred to Imam Khomeini.

## Other facilities

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

## Airlines and destinations

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air1Air | Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Zahedan |
| Asa Jet | Abadan, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar/Konarak, Gorgan, Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Kish, Lamerd, Lar, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rafsanjan, Rasht, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabriz, Yazd |
| ATA Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Kish, Maku, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Sabzevar, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan |
| AVA Airlines | Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Kermanshah, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Urmia, Zahedan |
| Caspian Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Jask, Kerman, Kish, Lamerd, Lar, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Sari, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan |
| Chabahar Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kerman, Khorramabad, Kish, Lar, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Zahedan |
| FlyPersia | Abadan, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Yazd |
| Iran Air | Abadan, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh, Birjand, Bojnord, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Dezful, Gorgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Jahrom, Kalaleh, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Khoy, Kish, Lar, Mashhad, Parsabad, Qeshm, Ramsar, Rasht, Sahand/Maragheh, Saqqez, Sari, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan |
| Iran Airtour | Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Zahedan |
| Iran Aseman Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bojnord, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Gorgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Ramsar, Rasht, Sanandaj, Sari, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd, Zahedan |
| Karun Airlines | Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bahregan, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Dezful, Isfahan, Kerman, Kharg, Lavan, Mahshahr, Mashhad, Shiraz, Sirjan, Sirri Island, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd |
| Kish Air | Abadan, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar/Konarak, Gorgan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd, Zahedan, Zanjan |
| Mahan Air | Ahvaz, Ardabil, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Dezful, Gachsaran, Ilam, Iranshahr, Isfahan, Jask, Jiroft, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorramabad, Kish, Maku, Mashhad, Parsabad, Sanandaj, Sarakhs, Saravan, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabas, Tabriz, Urmia, Yasuj, Yazd, Zabol, Zahedan |
| Meraj Airlines | Asaluyeh, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Tabriz |
| Pars Air | Abadan, Aghajari, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Chabahar/Konarak, Gachsaran, Gorgan, Iranshahr, Isfahan, Kerman, Kish, Mahshahr, Maku, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabas, Tabriz, Yasuj, Yazd, Zabol, Zahedan |
| Pouya Air | Abadan, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Gorgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd |
| Qeshm Air | Abadan, Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bam, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Dezful, Gorgan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Kharg, Kish, Mahshahr, Mashhad, Qeshm, Sanandaj, Shahroud, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Zahedan |
| Saha Airlines | Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kish, Lavan, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd |
| Sepehran Airlines | Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar/Konarak, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd, Zahedan |
| Taban Air | Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Tabriz |
| Varesh Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Gonabad, Isfahan, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rafsanjan, Rasht, Sari, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia |
| Yazd Airways | Bandar Lengeh, Birjand, Bojnord, Gorgan, Isfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Qeshm, Rasht, Sabzevar, Shahrekord, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tabas, Tabriz, Urmia, Yazd |
| Zagros Airlines | Abadan, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar/Konarak, Isfahan, Kerman, Kish, Mashhad, Qeshm, Shiraz, Tabriz |

## 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. Fifteen passengers were killed in the accident.
* On 5 December 1974 a roof collapsed, killing 17 and injuring dozens more.
* On 21 January 1980 Iran Air Flight 291 crashed into the Alborz mountains on approach to Mehrabad, killing all 128 people on board.
* 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 2 February 2000, During takeoff, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules with eight occupants onboard veered off the runway and had struck an empty Iran Air Airbus A300B2-203 that was being towed to a hangar. Eight people die.
* On 20 April 2005, Saha Airlines Flight 171 [fa; fr], 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.
* 19 June 2005 (2005-06-19): at 0435 in the morning Tehran local time, Northwest Airlines Flight 41, Ship No. 1243, operating from Mumbai to Amsterdam made an emergency landing at the airport. It was the first American commercial flight to land in Iran in 26 years, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Fire had been spotted at the airplane's main cabin.
* On 6 December 2005 an Iranian Air Force Lockheed 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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. One is for Terminals 1 and 2, and the other is for Terminals 4 and 6.