TEHRAN — Iranian authorities resumed flights at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on April 25 after roughly 58 days of suspension that began with the launch of the US-Israel war on Iran. Air traffic gradually restarted with services to 15 destinations operated by eight domestic airlines, covering regional and international routes including Medina, Istanbul, Muscat, China and Russia.
Iran's airspace was reopened in four phases beginning April 19, the Iranian aviation regulator said. The phased reopening began with transit flights, followed by domestic flights, culminating in the full resumption of operations at international airports. Before the war, the airport handled 150 flights on a typical day.
According to the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, 20 aircraft have been destroyed and are no longer operational. Iranian authorities said the airport and its runways escaped damage, and the airport infrastructure is approximately 95 percent ready.
Mohammad Amirani, chief executive of Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company, said consultations had started with foreign airlines to explain the status of routes and re-absorb flights. "Several flights to Istanbul, Turkey, were on the schedule Saturday at Tehran's international airport," he said.
"The increase in the number of these flights will happen in a phased manner," Amirani said. "Airports on Iran's eastern side which borders Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan will be prioritized due to safety reasons. Flights from the central and western region which borders Iraq will resume more slowly, based on security assessments."
Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, addressed the outlook for international carriers returning to Iranian skies. "The return of foreign carriers will depend on political stability and their own risk assessments," Kashef Azar said.
Flight information boards went offline when Iran closed its airspace, and Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which comes with a peak aviation season for Iranian airports, also saw flight suspensions and major disruption. More than 3,300 people have been killed in Iran, and thousands have been injured, with widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure during the war.
Maryam, a traveler at the airport, described the difficulty of arranging an itinerary out of the country. "After a lot of stress and problems, now I've found a ticket with an Iranian airline — flying first to Armenia with a long layover, and then on to Canada," she said.
A two-week cease-fire with the United States was brokered by Pakistan on April 8, and President Trump extended the cease-fire earlier in the week.