:Iran Air

File:Douglas C-47B EP-ACK Iranian Natnl Ringway 24.04.54 edited-2.jpg freighter in 1954]]

Iranian Airways was founded in May 1944 by Reza Afshar and Gholam Ebtehaj. Post-war, its first passenger flight was from Tehran to Mashhad,{{cite web|url=http://www.iranair.com/portal/Home/Default.aspx?CategoryID=11162545-c3b9-455d-b26d-c8ebe61653f4|title=IranAir Portal|access-date=24 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410094458/http://www.iranair.com/portal/Home/Default.aspx?CategoryID=11162545-c3b9-455d-b26d-c8ebe61653f4|archive-date=10 April 2015|url-status=dead}} followed by a Tehran-Esfahan-Shiraz-Bushehr-Abadan-Ahwaz service. In 1946 the airline established service to Cairo, Baghdad, and Tel Aviv, and in April 1947, to Paris. Between 1945 and 1962, the airline became a major domestic carrier, also operating some international flights to Europe each week. The fleet consisted of Douglas DC-3s initially, supplemented by Douglas DC-4 and Vickers Viscount aircraft later on.

In 1954, the privately-owned airline Persian Air Services (PAS) was established. PAS initially operated only freight services, followed by passenger operations between Tehran and other major cities in Iran. In 1960, PAS initiated passenger service to several European destinations, including Geneva, Paris, Brussels and London, using Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-7 aircraft leased from Belgium's Sabena airline.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1961/1961%20-%200495.html |title=World Airline Directory |magazine=FlightGlobal |page=503 |volume=79 |issue=2718 |location=London |publisher=Iliffe Transport Publications |date=13 April 1961 |access-date=15 January 2017 }}

Iranian Airways was nationalized in 1961. On 24 February 1961, Iranian Airways and PAS merged to form the Iran National Airlines Corporation (HOMA), known as Iran Air, using the Homa bird as a symbol. HOMA was a public sector venture that combined the two predecessor air carriers. Among the aircraft used were Avro Yorks, Douglas DC-3s, Douglas DC-6s, and Vickers Viscounts. The carrier became a full member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 1964. Iran Air and South African Airways were the launch customers for the Boeing 747SP.

{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}

File:Iran Air Boeing 707-300 Manteufel.jpg at Frankfurt Airport in 1970]]

File:Iran Air Boeing 747SP-86 (EP-IAB) at JFK.jpg at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1976]]

In 1965, Iran Air took delivery of its first jet aircraft, the Boeing 707 and six Boeing 727-100, followed by the Boeing 737-200 in 1971, three of the stretched Boeing 727-200 in 1974, and three variants of Boeing 747 (one 747-100B, two −200M and four SP), starting in 1978–1979. By the mid-1970s, Iran Air was serving cities in Europe with non-stop and one-stop flights, including over 30 flights a week to London alone.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

On 29 May 1971, the Tehran to New York City route was inaugurated, using Boeing 707s making a stop-over at London Heathrow Airport. Shortly thereafter, the route was upgraded to a non-stop flight using Boeing 747SPs, making Iran Air the second Middle Eastern carrier (after El Al), to offer non-stop service to New York. With this flight, Iran Air set a new world record in time and distance for a non-stop, scheduled long-haul flight (12 hours and 15 minutes, 9,867 km – 6,131 mi – 5,328 nm). In 1978, the airline acquired six Airbus A300 aircraft for use on its domestic trunk and busy regional routes. By the end of that year, Iran Air was serving 31 international destinations stretching from New York City to Peking and Tokyo. Plans were made to offer direct services to Los Angeles and to Sydney, for which the airline's long range Boeing 747SP aircraft were ideal. This would have allowed Iran Air to use Tehran as a midway point between East and West, because of its favorable geographical location. Such plans were never realized but they bear considerable resemblance to the hub-and-spoke strategies adopted by the ME3 carriers and Turkish Airlines.

Lt. Gen. Ali-Mohammad Khademi was the general manager of Iran Air from 1962 to 1978.{{cite web|url=https://web.stanford.edu/group/abbasmilani/cgi-bin/wordpress/publications/eminent-persians/|title=Eminent Persians: Ali-Mohammad Khademi|access-date=10 November 2018|archive-date=12 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112004022/https://web.stanford.edu/group/abbasmilani/cgi-bin/wordpress/publications/eminent-persians/|url-status=dead}}

As a result of economic sanctions against Iran, Iran Air was unable to expand or replace its fleet.{{cite web |last1=Zhang |first1=Benjamin |date=29 January 2016 |title=Airbus just sold Iran $25 billion worth of jets including a dozen A380s |url=http://www.businessinsider.sg/airbus-sold-iran-25-billion-airliners-2016-1/?r=US&IR=T#.VrL2F9BhOfQ |location=Singapore |website=Business Insider |access-date=4 February 2016}} The last time Iran Air was delivered brand-new Western aircraft prior to the 2016 lifting of nuclear-related sanctions was in 1994 when it received two Airbus A300-B4s in compensation for the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by an American cruiser in 1988.{{cite web|url=https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/interview-iran-air-ceo-airbus-boeing-orders/|title=On Location: Interview with Iran Air CEO on New Airbus and Boeing Orders - Airways Magazine|date=12 January 2017|access-date=17 January 2017|archive-date=18 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818193015/https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/interview-iran-air-ceo-airbus-boeing-orders/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-boeing-iran-air-eu-2016-6|title=Airbus and Boeing are bailing Iran out of a huge problem|website=Business Insider}}

In 2001, Iran Air purchased six second-hand Airbus A300s from Turkey, but only after two years, all six of them ended up grounded at airports in Tehran, Mashhad and Moscow. This caused significant controversy in Iran where officials cited GE engine design flaw and subsequent overheating as the reason for grounding the planes. One of these six planes was later confirmed to have returned to service by 2010.{{cite news |title=هواپیماهای زمین گیر شده ایران پرواز می کنند؟ |language=fa |trans-title=Do Iran's grounded planes fly? |work=BBC Persian |url=http://www.bbc.com/persian/lg/business/2009/01/090119_ka_iranair_behbahani.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329051625/http://www.bbc.com/persian/lg/business/2009/01/090119_ka_iranair_behbahani.shtml |archive-date=2017-03-29}}{{cite web |date=11 January 2010 |title=ماجرای 6 فروند هواپیمای ترک که به انبار منتقل شدند! |trans-title=The story of 6 Turkish planes that were transferred to Anbar! |url=http://www.mehrnews.com/news/1014818/ماجرای-6-فروند-هواپیمای-ترک-که-به-انبار-منتقل-شدند |website=Mehr News Agency |language=fa}}

As a result of the close ties between Iran and Venezuela, Iran Air launched a route from Tehran to Caracas via Damascus in March 2007. The airline codeshared with Conviasa on the flight, and the passengers included Iranian tourists and Lebanese Venezuelans.{{cite news |author=Romero |first=Simon |date=3 March 2007 |title=Venezuela and Iran Strengthen Ties With Caracas-to-Tehran Flight |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/world/americas/03caracas.html |access-date=30 November 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news |author=Spaeth |first=Andreas |date=2007-06-17 |title=Nach Diktatur verreist |trans-title=Traveled after dictatorship |url=http://www.faz.net/s/RubB4457BA9094E4B44BD26DF6DCF5A5F00/Doc~EF289C12B1966449DBC702A86FBE7FD9A~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625192742/http://www.faz.net/s/RubB4457BA9094E4B44BD26DF6DCF5A5F00/Doc~EF289C12B1966449DBC702A86FBE7FD9A~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html |archivedate=2007-06-25 |accessdate=10 April 2023 |work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung |language=de}} The service was costly to operate. Iran Air utilised a Boeing 747SP, which consumed large amounts of fuel. In addition, the company had to restrict the number of passengers on the flight from Damascus to Caracas, as the high altitude and heat prevented the plane from taking off with a full cabin and fuel tanks. Ultimately, Iran Air lost over {{US$|100,000}} per flight. In October 2007, it handed the route over to Conviasa.{{cite news |date=2007-10-07 |title=La compañía venezolana Conviasa inaugura la ruta Caracas-Teherán con escala en Damasco |language=es |trans-title=The Venezuelan company Conviasa inaugurates the Caracas-Tehran route with a stopover in Damascus |work=Notimérica |url=https://www.notimerica.com/economia/noticia-venezuela-iran-compania-venezolana-conviasa-inaugura-ruta-caracas-teheran-escala-damasco-20071007182234.html |accessdate=9 April 2023}}

Prior to the separation of Iran Air Tours from Iran Air in 2011, Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154s formed the backbone of the former's fleet. However, several successive disasters involving this plane ultimately led to a 2011 blanket ban on its operations within Iranian airlines, including Iran Air Tours.{{cite web|url=https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/iran-to-ban-tu-154-flights-4224|title=Iran to Ban Tu-154 Flights|date=16 January 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pravdareport.com/business/companies/19-01-2011/116565-iran_tu_154-0/|title=Iran bans Russia's Tu-154 planes|date=18 January 2011}} The Tu-154 fleet was gradually replaced with MD-83s over the course of a few months.{{cite web|url=http://flyingwithfish.boardingarea.com/2010/10/15/iran-air-moves-away-from-tupolev-towards-boeing/|title=Iran Air Moves Away From Tupolev Towards Boeing|date=15 October 2010|website=Flying With Fish|author1=Flyingfish|access-date=28 March 2017|archive-date=29 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329050759/http://flyingwithfish.boardingarea.com/2010/10/15/iran-air-moves-away-from-tupolev-towards-boeing/|url-status=dead}}

According to Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development in 2014, Iran had more than 100 planes, some of them owned by Iran Air, grounded due to the lack of access to new parts and technical expertise during the sanctions era.{{cite web|url=http://www.iranair.com/portal/home/?news/18437/16079/12404/Over-100-Iranian-airplanes-still-grounded|title=IranAir Official Site-IranAir_Portal-Over 100 Iranian airplanes still grounded|website=www.iranair.com|access-date=2022-02-07|archive-date=2017-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329062944/http://www.iranair.com/portal/home/?news%2F18437%2F16079%2F12404%2FOver-100-Iranian-airplanes-still-grounded|url-status=dead}}

The prolonged period of time that Iran Air was under international sanctions and barred from purchasing spare parts and new planes led to a dramatic rise in its average fleet age and plunging safety record.{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-delforoush/irans-flying-coffins_b_252090.html|title=Iran's "Flying Coffins"|first=Ali|last=Delforoush|website=HuffPost|date=5 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.traveller.com.au/ancient-jumbo-jet-part-of-the-problem-for-iran-airlines-vintage-plane-fleet-2ylpu|title=Ancient jumbo jet part of the problem for Iran airline's vintage plane fleet|date=3 December 2013}} As of March 2017, Iran Air's average fleet age stands at 24.1 years, though this figure is set to improve through addition of new deliveries.{{Cn|date=October 2024}}

Iran Air's subpar on-time performance, amongst those of most other Iranian airlines, has led to public anger and frustration, often inciting protests in the form of violent confrontations with the airline employees or airplane sit-ins for many hours after a severely-delayed flight has finally landed. Officials routinely attribute the delays to the economic sanctions, although at least one pro-revolutionary ideologue has cited "inefficiency and mismanagement" as the chief cause of this issue.{{cite news |last=McDonnell |first=Patrick J. |date=1 March 2015 |title=Iran's airline passengers are mad and aren't taking it anymore |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iran-airline-passengers-20150301-story.html}}

File:Iran Air Airbus A300 (EP-IBA) arrives London Heathrow Airport 21September2014 arp.jpg lands at London's Heathrow Airport in 2014. As of 2025, Iran Air is one of the last remaining commercial operators of the Airbus A300.]]

On 5 July 2010, an aviation official of Iran accused the UK, Germany and the United Arab Emirates of refusing to refuel Iranian passenger jets.{{cite news |date=5 July 2010 |title=Britain, Germany and UAE refuse to refuel Iran planes |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/7872532/Britain-Germany-and-UAE-refuse-to-refuel-Iran-planes.html |access-date=24 April 2015}} This move followed unilateral sanctions imposed by the US over the nuclear weapons dispute. Iran Air and Mahan Air both claimed to have been denied refuelling. A spokeswoman for Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) said that a contract was in place to refuel Iranian passenger flights and ADAC would continue to do so. A spokesperson for the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority said that it was the sole decision of independent suppliers if aircraft were to be refuelled or not. Germany's Transport Ministry said the refuelling of Iranian aircraft was not banned under EU or UN sanctions but did not say whether any independent refuellers were denying refuelling.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10511420.stm|title=Iran says its passenger jets were refused fuel abroad|work=BBC News|date=5 July 2010|access-date=24 April 2015}} Later in the day, Dubai Airport revealed that it continued to refuel Iranian passengers flights in and out of Dubai.{{cite news |date=5 July 2010 |title=Dubai airport continues to refuel Iranian planes |work=Reuters |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6641GL20100705 |url-status=dead |access-date=24 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225081350/http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6641GL20100705 |archive-date=December 25, 2010}} The next day, a spokesperson for Iran said that no such limitation had been imposed.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10518662.stm|title=Iran rejects claim that planes were denied fuel|work=BBC News|date=6 July 2010|access-date=24 April 2015}}

On 6 July 2010, it was announced that the European Commission would ban all of Iran Air's Airbus A320, Boeing 727 and Boeing 747 fleet from the EU over safety concerns.{{cite web |author= |title=Latest EU blacklist bans Iran Air A320s and 747s |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/07/06/344095/latest-eu-blacklist-bans-iran-air-a320s-and-747s.html |access-date=24 April 2015 |website=FlightGlobal |publisher=Reed Business Information Limited}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/10529236.stm|title=EU imposes flight ban on Iran Air over safety|work=BBC News|date=6 July 2010|access-date=24 April 2015}} This move came as a major blow to Iran Air, limiting flights to Europe with its own aircraft.

In 2012, the EU re-allowed the refuelling of Iran Air aircraft at secondary European airports such as Ljubljana and Budapest, in an effort to retain the refuelling contracts within the EU, rather than letting them go to Serbia or later Belarus and Ukraine.{{cite web|url=http://www.exyuaviation.com/2014/06/iran-air-to-cease-refuelling-in-ex-yu.html|title=Iran Air to cease refuelling in EX-YU|website=EX-YU Aviation News|date=29 June 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.exyuaviation.com/2011/06/iran-air-ends-belgrade-technical-stop.html|title=Iran Air ends Belgrade technical stop|website=EX-YU Aviation News|date=24 June 2011 }}

In January 2012, Iran Air's flights to and from London Heathrow operated with a fuel stop at Manston Airport in Kent. However, the airport announced in December 2011 that this arrangement was to end and it would no longer refuel the company's aircraft. This announcement swiftly followed the closure of Iran's embassy in London as the consequence of the ransacking of the British embassy in Tehran. The airport stressed that it had not breached any trade agreements, as it had no connections with the US.{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-15988328 | work=BBC News | title=Manston airport stops refuelling Iran Air flights | date=1 December 2011}}

In anticipation of a deal being reached for the lifting of sanctions, the chairman of Iran Air, Farhad Parvaresh, stated that the airline would then seek to obtain at least 100 wide-body and short-haul jets.{{cite news |last1=Hepher |first1=Tim |date=10 July 2015 |title=Planemakers poised for Iranian buying spree if nuclear deal reached |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-aviation-insight-idUSKCN0PK1UF20150711 |location=Paris/Vienna |work=Reuters |access-date=4 February 2016}}

On Friday 15 January 2016 US president Barack Obama authorized his secretary of state, John Kerry, to lift the sanctions on Iran civil aviation.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Following Iran's implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on 16 January 2016, all sanctions on Iran civil aviation were lifted. As a result, Iranian airlines, including Iran Air, were granted permission to purchase new civil aircraft from any manufacturer as well as to refuel at all European airports, except for two Swedish destinations, Stockholm and Gothenburg, due to the fuel supplier BP still refusing to provide fuel to the Iranian carriers.{{cite news |date=12 March 2017 |title=حل مشکل سوخت‌گیری هواپیمایی ایران در سوئد تا چند هفته دیگر |language=fa |trans-title=Solving the refueling problem of Iran's airline in Sweden in a few weeks |work=Iranian Students' News Agency |url=http://www.isna.ir/news/95122213956/حل-مشکل-سوخت-گیری-هواپیمایی-ایران-در-سوئد-تا-چند-هفته-دیگر}}{{cite web|url=http://www.iranair.com/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=NEWS&CategoryID=15908aa6-3bea-4767-a6f6-d6c956fe8747&WebPartID=4faa9599-bc24-42b2-8f38-3437543bd07e&ID=cc1cd36d-936c-43d0-bb1b-2ce5b2e6c667|title=IranAir Official Site-IranAir_Portal-Iran Air Resumes Refueling in W. Europe|access-date=25 June 2016|archive-date=29 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129142623/http://www.iranair.com/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=NEWS&CategoryID=15908aa6-3bea-4767-a6f6-d6c956fe8747&WebPartID=4faa9599-bc24-42b2-8f38-3437543bd07e&ID=cc1cd36d-936c-43d0-bb1b-2ce5b2e6c667|url-status=dead}}

On 24 January 2016 Tehran hosted the CAPA Iran Aviation Summit organised by CAPA - Centre for Aviation in order to bring both Iranian and international aviation authorities together for considering development plans for Iran's aviation industry. CAPA put the size of Iran's economy somewhere between those of Turkey and Australia, whose commercial airline fleets are in the order of 500-600 aircraft.{{cite web|url=http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/capa-iran-aviation-summit-opens-in-tehran--huge-opportunities-ahead-with-some-challenges-263368|title=CAPA Iran Aviation Summit opens in Tehran – huge opportunities ahead, with some challenges}} Bombardier presented its regional models during the CAPA summit in Tehran.{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-24/iran-air-sees-need-for-at-least-20-regional-jets-ceo-says |title=Iran Air Sees Adding 20 Regional Jets, as Bombardier Makes Pitch |last1=Motevalli |first1=Golnar |last2=Kamel |first2=Deena |website=Bloomberg |publisher=Bloomberg LP |date=25 January 2016 |access-date=25 January 2016}} In a statement, Mr. Parvaresh announced that his airline expected to spend some 3-5 billion US dollars purchasing regional aircraft from manufacturers Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer.

On 8 May 2018, following US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and as part of the reinstatement of the United States sanctions against Iran lifted in 2015, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the decision to revoke all Iran sales licenses already granted to plane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus after a 90-day period.{{cite news |last=Isidore |first=Chris |date=8 May 2018 |title=New Iran sanctions will kill billions in jet sales. Boeing is ready |work=CNN Money |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/08/news/companies/boeing-airbus-iran-sanctions/index.html }}

It was announced that Iran Air had to cancel the order for Boeing aircraft due to President Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions against Iran, despite this it has been announced that Iran Air will still be receiving ATR aircraft. It has not yet been announced if Airbus aircraft will still be delivered. Any aircraft being delivered to Iran Air must be delivered within a 90 to 180 day period before the sanctions begin. While members of the Trump administration have advised European companies to stop doing business with Iran now, Federica Mogherini said the European aim was "maintaining and deepening economic relations with Iran. "The technical experts plan to propose ways to avert disruptions in air, sea and land transport from and to Iran and keep channels open for "effective banking transactions."{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-16/oil-drops-near-71-as-industry-data-shows-u-s-inventories-rise|title=EU sticks to nuclear deal and focusses on trade with Iran|newspaper=Bloomberg.com| date=16 May 2018 }}

In September 2024, Germany, France and the United Kingdom announced a new row of sanctions against Iran Air, restricting the airline's ability to operate into European airspace.[https://www.aero.de/news-48246/Bundesregierung-verhaengt-Sanktionen-gegen-Iran-Air.html aero.de - "Federal government imposes sanctions against Iran Air"] (German) 11 September 2024 That same month, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned Iran Air due to its role in the transfer of weaponry to Russia during the Russia-Ukraine war.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-23 |title=Treasury Designates Actors Facilitating Iran's Transfer of Lethal Aid to Russia |url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2570 |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=U.S. Department of the Treasury |language=en}} In October 2024, the European Union sanctioned Iran Air due to its role in transferring ballistic missiles to Russia.

Iran Air is one of the few airlines in the world that, pursuant to Islamic law, does not serve alcoholic beverages on any of its flights.{{cite web|url=http://zilzarlife.com/7-major-airlines-that-do-not-serve-alcohol/ |title= 7 Major Airlines That Do Not Serve Alcohol | work = Modern Muslim Lifestyle |date=16 November 2015|access-date=30 March 2017|archive-date=30 March 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170330181012/http://zilzarlife.com/7-major-airlines-that-do-not-serve-alcohol/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url= http://shawnvoyage.com/airlines-that-don-t-serve-alcohol/|title=Major Airlines that Don't Serve Alcohol | work = ShawnVoyage |date= 7 April 2014}} Moreover, there is no choice of non-Halal food selections, such as those containing pork, on Iran Air's menu. This is a policy similar to many other airlines based in predominantly Muslim countries.{{cite web |url= https://www.vayama.com/airlines/iran-air|title=Iran Air Deals, Iran Air News ratings and reviews, pictures, deals |website= Vayama |access-date=2017-03-30|archive-date= 2017-03-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170330180150/https://www.vayama.com/airlines/iran-air|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://shawnvoyage.com/airlines-that-don-t-serve-alcohol/ |title=Major Airlines that Don't Serve Alcohol |date=7 April 2014 |publisher =ShawnVoyage}}

As of September 2023, Iran Air operated flights to various domestic and international destinations across Asia and Europe.

In late 2024, the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran Air, leading to the cancellation of all flights to the European Union.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-15 |title=Iran Air cancels Europe flights hours after new batch of EU sanctions |url=https://www.euronews.com/2024/10/15/iran-air-cancels-europe-flights-hours-after-new-batch-of-eu-sanctions |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=euronews |language=en}}

Since it’s establishment, IranAir has been based in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Operating all of it flights from Mehrabad Airport, the airline began operating it’s International flights at Imam Khomeini Airport in 2005. All IranAir international flights were transferred to Imam Khomeini airport by 2007.

IranAir also has multiple focus cities across the country including Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tabriz.

Until 2016, Hajj charter operations formed a major part of Iran Air's annual activities. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims flew from major cities in Iran to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's air gateway to Mecca, to take part in pilgrimage ceremonies. In 2016, due to escalating tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, all Hajj flights from Iran were suspended indefinitely.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/29/iran-pilgrims-will-not-attend-hajj-amid-row-with-saudi-arabia |title=Iranian pilgrims won't attend hajj amid row with Saudi Arabia |website=The Guardian |agency=Reuters |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |date=30 May 2016 |access-date=6 January 2017}} These flights resumed from 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aviationiran.com/2017/07/25/86000-iranians-join-hajj-via-resumed-air-routes-to-saudi-arabia/|title=86,000 Iranians Join Hajj via Resumed Air Routes to Saudi Arabia|last=Amin|date=2017-07-25|website=Aviation Iran|access-date=2019-12-28}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/middleeast/hajj-mecca-saudi-arabia-iran.html|title=Iranian Pilgrims Can Participate in Hajj This Year, Saudi Arabia Says|last=Hubbard|first=Ben|date=2017-03-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-28|issn=0362-4331}}

Iran Air had codeshare agreements with the following airlines:{{cite web |url= http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/iran-air-ir |title= Profile on Iran Air |publisher= CAPA Centre for Aviation|access-date=2016-10-31 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161031185620/http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/iran-air-ir |archive-date= 2016-10-31}}

• Turkish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Austrian Airlines

File:IranAir A320-212 EP-IED (5302632412).jpg]]

File:Arrival of Iran Air Airbus A321 (EP-IFA) to Mehrabad International Airport (10).jpg]]

File:EP-IJB (38370274115).jpg]]

File:Atr 72-600 in Gorgan Airport.jpg]]

File:Iran Air Cargo Boeing 747-200 KvW.jpg]]

{{As of|2025|04}}, Iran Air's fleet consists of the following aircraft

{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}

Iran Air has previously operated the following aircraft:

On 8 October 1972, Iran Air placed an order with British Aircraft Corporation for two Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic jets plus an option for one, rendering it the last airline to place Concorde orders for commercial use.{{cite web|url= http://www.concordesst.com/history/orders.html |title=Orders|website= Concorde SST}} However, Iran Air – having had briefly chartered one Concorde jet on flights between Tehran and Paris – cancelled these orders in April 1980.

Iran Air Tours was founded in 1973 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Iran Air, focusing on charter flights and tourism.{{Cite web |url= http://iat.aero/en/page/aboutus |title= Iran Airtour Airline |website= iat.aero |access-date= 2016-12-27 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161225110829/http://iat.aero/en/page/aboutus |archive-date= 2016-12-25 |url-status= dead }} In 2011, the company was purchased by Hesayar Cooperative Company, itself a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. However, Hesayar failed to meet its financial commitments and the airline promptly returned to private hands in 2016.{{Cite news |title=همان اتفاقی که در مورد آلومینیوم مهدی افتاد در مورد ایران ایرتور نیز افتاده است |trans-title=The same thing that happened to Al-Mahdi Aluminum also happened to Iran Airtour |url=https://www.alef.ir/vdcjayetvuqeimz.fsfu.html?350671 |access-date=2023-10-29 |work=Alef news agency |language=fa}} The airline will increase the number of flights from Isfahan and Shiraz airports to Kuwait International Airport as of 17 April 2022.{{Cite news |date=2021-12-09 |title=The Muslim Brotherhood is tearing itself apart |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/12/09/the-muslim-brotherhood-is-tearing-itself-apart |access-date=2022-04-18 |issn=0013-0613}}

Homa Hotel Group was founded in 1979 by the Government of Iran after it completed a nationalization of the hotel industry. As of 2016, it was owned by Iran's Social Security Organization.{{Cite web |url= http://en.hegta.ir/Homa-Hotel-Group_2249.html |title= Homa Hotel Group |website= Tourism Holding of Tamin Ejtemaei |access-date= 2016-12-27 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161229031615/http://en.hegta.ir/Homa-Hotel-Group_2249.html |archive-date= 2016-12-29 |url-status= dead }}

Before the two companies merged in 1962 to form Iran Air, Iranian Airways and Persian Air Services had several aircraft hull losses. Iranian Airways lost six Douglas DC-3s in crashes and a fire between 1949 and 1959;{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47B-20-DK (DC-3) EP-ACI |id=19490106-1 |accessdate=11 January 2017}}{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3) EP-AAJ |id=19501201-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}}{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47A-20-DK (DC-3) EP-ACV |id=19530630-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}}{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47A-20-DL (DC-3) EP-ACL |id=19521225-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}} and one of its Douglas DC-4s was shot down in 1961;{{ASN accident|title=Douglas DC-4 EP-ADK |id=19610804-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}} while Persian Air Services lost three Avro Yorks in crashes and a maintenance accident between 1955 and 1959.{{ASN accident|title=Avro 685 York C.1 EP-ADA |id=19550914-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}}{{ASN accident|title=Avro 685 York C.1 EP-ADB |id=19560917-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}}{{ASN accident|title=Avro 685 York C.1 EP-ADE |id=19590715-0 |accessdate=11 January 2017}} Since 1962, Iran Air has had more than a dozen aircraft hull losses in crashes and the shooting-down of Iran Air Flight 655; the airline has also experienced twenty hijacking incidents on its aircraft.{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?sorteer=datekey_desc&kind=%&cat=%&page=1&field=Operatorkey&var=5964 |title=Iran Air occurrences |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation |access-date=11 January 2017}}

• On 14 September 1950, an Iranian Airways Douglas DC-3, registration EP-AAG, bound for Saudi Arabia, crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran Mehrabad International Airport. The nine people on board, all employees of the airline, were killed.{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47A-30-DL (DC-3) EP-AAG |id=19500914-1 |accessdate=28 December 2016 }}
• On 25 December 1952, an Iranian Airways Douglas DC-3 with twenty-one passengers and a crew of four on board crashed while on approach to Tehran airport. There was one survivor.{{ASN accident|title=Douglas C-47A-35-DL (DC-3) EP-ACJ |id=19521225-0 |accessdate=4 January 2017}}
• On the evening of 21 January 1980, a Boeing 727-100 operating as Iran Air Flight 291 hit high ground north of Tehran in a snowstorm during its landing approach to Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, after the pilot failed to follow the correct path to the runway. All 128 passengers and crew on board were killed.
• On 3 July 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 was flying over the Persian Gulf on its way to Dubai from Bandar Abbas. According to the U.S. version of events, the crew of the United States Navy cruiser {{USS|Vincennes|CG-49|6}} mistook the airliner for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat jet fighter and the cruiser shot the airliner down with a missile, killing all 16 crew and 274 passengers. Iran maintains it was an intentional act of barbarism.International Court of Justice. [http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/icases/iirus/iirus_ipleadings/iirus_ipleadings_19900724_MemorialIran_Part4B.pdf Aerial Incident of 3 July 1988 (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America) — Iranian submission: Part IV B, The shooting down of flight IR 655] {{dead link|date=November 2013}}, para. 4.52–4.53. Accessed 2007-01-20.
• On 9 June 1996 a Boeing 727-200 on a pilot training flight landed on its belly at Rasht Airport on its fifteenth touch-and-go landing in a series, after the crew forgot to extend the landing gear. The aircraft slid for more than {{convert|2|km|mi}} along the runway; instead of allowing the aircraft to stop, the crew lifted off again and circled the airport to return for a landing with the gear extended. While circling, a fire broke out in the aircraft's rear fuselage, damaging its flight control systems. As the aircraft neared the ground it rolled left, the wing hit the ground, and the aircraft crashed in a field, killing four of the seven crewmembers on board.{{ASN accident|title=Iran Air Boeing 727-286 EP-IRU |id=19960609-3 |accessdate=4 January 2017}}
• On 2 February 2000, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules owned by the Iranian Air Force lost control and veered off the runway, striking an Airbus A300B2-203 owned by Iran Air, killing eight people. Both aircraft were written off.{{Cite web |title=Other Airbus A300B2-203 EP-IBR, Wednesday 2 February 2000 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/323575 |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=asn.flightsafety.org}}
• On 2 January 2008, Iran Air Fokker 100 EP-IDB carrying 100 passengers skidded off the runway after its wing caught fire, when taking off for a domestic flight to Shiraz International Airport from Mehrabad Airport. No one was injured in the accident, which happened amid heavy snowfall at the airport.{{cite web|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iCZFq3IgeJJyAjQSULFgE7WMaVQA|title=Iran Air plane skids off runway, passengers safe|publisher=AFP|access-date=2008-01-05|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306040837/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iCZFq3IgeJJyAjQSULFgE7WMaVQA|archive-date=2008-03-06}} The aircraft was written off.{{Cite web |title=ASN Aircraft accident Fokker 100 EP-IDB Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR) |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20080102-1 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=aviation-safety.net}}
• On 9 January 2011 Iran Air Flight 277, a Boeing 727-200 (registration: EP-IRP) originating from Tehran, crashed near its destination city of Orumiyeh, {{convert|460|mi|km|order=flip}} northwest of Tehran, during an attempted go-around in poor weather. It was carrying 105 people, of whom at least 78 were killed.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12147872|title=Iran Passenger Plane "Crashes" Near Orumiyeh|publisher=BBC World News|access-date=9 January 2010}}
• On 18 October 2011, a Boeing 727-200 (registration: EP-IRR) operating a flight from Moscow as Flight 742 landed with the nose landing gear jammed in the retracted position at Mehrabad International Airport. All 113 occupants on board survived without incident.

{{Portal|Iran|Companies|Aviation}}

• Airlines of Iran
• Airports of Iran
• Iran Civil Aviation Organization
• Privatization in Iran
• Tourism in Iran
• Transport in Iran

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• {{cite book |last1=Mols |first1=Jozef |title=Iran Air: Flying the Homa |series=Airlines Series, Vol. 9 |date=2023 |publisher=Key Publishing |location=Stamford, Lincs, UK |isbn=9781802822649 |url={{GBurl|rXnwzgEACAAJ}} |language=en}}

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{{Sister project links|wikt=no|b=no|s=no|v=no|species=no}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110205205918/http://www.iranair.com/ Iran Air]
• [http://www.skygift.ir/ SkyGift Iran Air Frequent Flyer Club] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109200607/http://skygift.ir/ |date=2013-11-09 }}
• [http://www.iranian.com/History/June97/IranAir/index.shtml The evolution of the Iranian airline industry]

{{Navbox Airlines of Iran}}

{{IATA members|mideast}}

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Category:Airlines of Iran

Category:Airlines banned in the European Union

Category:Iranian brands

Category:Airlines established in 1962

Category:Government-owned airlines

Category:Iranian companies established in 1962