DESTINATIONS Iran Government projections that the


country needs to buy 500 aircraft over the next decade are ambitious, he believes, echoing reservations from several western analysts. Iran currently has about 250 aircraft in its national fleet – 150 of which are operational. Rob Morris, head of consultancy at Flightglobal Ascend, estimates that 300 deliveries would provide the optimal balance between replacement and growth units. “The best thing to do is have a


programme of replacement and gradually add to the fleet,” Ronaghi says. “And I’m sure our authorities will do that.”


Foreign carriers


As Tehran begins the lengthy process of modernising and maturing its aviation sector, many of the near-term opportunities are being snapped up by foreign carriers. British Airways and Air France are both


restoring Tehran to their route networks this year, having suspended flights in 2012 and 2008 respectively. Austrian Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group, is doubling Tehran frequencies and making Isfahan its second Iranian point. Oman Air is quadrupling its summer capacity to Tehran, while adding a new link to Mashhad. Fewer announcements have come out of Asia, although Kazakhstan’s Air Astana is launching Almaty-Tehran. With the transport ministries of Switzerland and Japan also reportedly holding Iranian talks, the steady stream of new routes looks set to continue well into 2016 and beyond. Moreover, it is not only business and


tourism flows that are fuelling demand. VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic is another key driver, putting the spotlight on the foreign country with the single largest contingent of ethnic Persians. Mohammad Khodakarami, deputy


director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, says: “From Iran’s side, there is no barrier to establishing flights between Iran and United States. “Before the [1979 Islamic] revolution,


Iran Air had daily direct flights to the United States. We know that there is demand... We are sure that the load factor will be very great. So, purely from the aviation side, we welcome establishing these flights.” While there has been a considerable


gap since then, non-stop flights between the two countries no longer seem implausible any more. £


Stars Valley, Qeshm Island


Outside of the Islamic Republic, Iran Air is the only Persian airline that commands widespread brand recognition. The flag-carrier was the focal point of Iran’s tentative mega-order for 118 Airbus aircraft in January, which included an unexpected commitment for 12 double-decker Airbus A380s. It is already making plans for rapid network growth, promising to scale up European frequencies and launch a new service to Toronto. To a domestic audience, however, Iran Air is just one of 16 local carriers. Indeed, it is not even the country’s largest. Privately owned Mahan Air has overtaken the flag carrier in almost every metric in recent years: passenger traffic, freight traffic, revenue and fleet size. The trouble for Mahan, unlike Iran Air, is that it still faces


terrorism-related sanctions over alleged support for Iranian military activity in Syria. Government officials are now considering “legal actions” to


remove Mahan from the US Treasury’s list of sanctioned entities, eager to see it join the shopping spree for western-built aircraft. Several other Iranian carriers – including Meraj Airlines and Caspian Airlines – also face ongoing terrorism-related sanctions. Unless and until their restrictions are lifted, these carriers have no choice but to rely on the black market when pursuing fleet modernisation.


The situation is borne out by their network-development plans. Despite adopting the same East-to-West model as Iran Air, Mahan has prioritised route launches to the capitals of Russia and Ukraine. Meraj is giving Europe an even wider berth, turning its attention to Turkey, Iraq and the Caucasus. The skies are more open for the country’s third largest carrier,


Iran Aseman Airlines, which is free to spread its wings as it pleases. Mohammad Gorji, VP of executive affairs and fleet development,


tells Routes News that he wants to grow Aseman’s 21-strong operational fleet to 100 units within five years, primarily by sourcing second-hand aircraft. The carrier will retain its focus on short-haul services, exploring opportunities in the UAE, Turkey, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its former route to Stockholm could be restored during a later wave of expansion, Gorji adds. Two of Iran’s island-based carriers are also ready for sanctions-


free growth. Kish Island is already one of the country’s most-visited destinations, prompting its namesake Kish Air to look as far afield as Vienna to entice new tourists. Qeshm Air, named after the island in the Strait of Hormuz, is meanwhile focusing on charter opportunities – both for tourists visiting Qeshm Island and for pilgrims heading


to Mashhad. 36 ISSUE 3 ROUTES NEWS 2016 routesonline.com


Big plans are now afoot for little-known Iranian carriers


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