Mehrabad International Airport

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).

1938–1954

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.

1955–1978

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 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 km 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.

1979–2007

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. All international flights had moved to Imam Khomeini Airport by March 2008.

2008–present

After the transfer of all International flights to Imam Khomeini, Mehrabad became solely for domestic traffic. Despite this, it has faced being overcrowded with the expansion of air travel in the country. In 2015 a proposal for a seventh terminal at Mehrabad was made, with plans to open a new twenty-gate terminal located between terminal 1, 2, 4, 6. The proposal estimated completion of this expansion by 2020, however construction never began and it is unclear if the proposal will move forward.

In 2019, a proposal to transfer domestic flights to Imam Khomeini airport was made. However it was abandoned and has not been officially considered due it being protested by Iranians and Tehranis as it would require a longer travel from the city to the further Imam Khomeini airport.

During the June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran, the airport was closed. On 14 June 2025, a fire was burning at a hangar for military jets at the airport. The airport reopened on 4 July 2025, 22 days after being closed.

Operations

thumb|Mehrabad Airport in 2024

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

Terminals and facilities

Mehrabad International Airport consists of four terminals.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 opened in 1955 as Mehrabad Airports main terminal, it was the first advanced airport in the Middle East. The building has been registered as a national historical monument in Iran due to its architecture and its importance in the countries development. It is responsible for flights operated by the following airlines: Air1Air, Chabahar Airlines, Kish Air, Varesh Airlines, and Zagros Airlines.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 opened in 1977 in order to help with the expansion of the airport, located near terminal 1, it is the busiest terminal in the airport. It is responsible for flights operated by Asajet, ATA Airlines, Ava Air, Iran Air, Iran Airtour, Karun Airlines, Meraj Airlines, and Qeshm Air.

Terminal 4

Terminal 4 opened in 2007 as part of another expansion within the airport complex. Located further from terminal 1 and 2, it helps with reducing traffic while increasing capacity. It handles flights operated by Caspian Airlines, FlyPersia, Iran Aseman Airlines, Mahan Air, Pars Air, Pouya Air, Saha Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Air, and Yazd Airways.

Terminal 6

Terminal 6 opened in 2012 in order to assist as the arrival hall of terminal 4. It handles the arrival of all airlines that depart from terminal 4.

Former terminals

Formerly, Mehrabad had a Terminal 3 that was used for Hajj flights, which were transferred to Imam Khomeini. It also had a Terminal 5 that was used for cargo flights, which were also transferred to Imam Khomeini.

Ground transportation

Mehrabad Airport is located near Azadi Tower and the Western Tehran Passenger Bus Terminal. It is accessible through Makhsus Karaj Expressway.

Mehrabad is also accessible through the Tehran Metro, it has two stations on the complex, Mehrabad Airport Terminal 1 and 2 station, and Mehrabad Airport Terminal 4 and 6 station

Offices

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

Airlines and destinations

Since 2007, after international routes were moved to a new airport located in Vahnabad. The airport only serves domestic flights to 41 Iranian cities. | ATA Airlines | Kermanshah | Chabahar Airlines | Khorramabad, Urmia | Fly Kish | Yazd | Iran Air | Hamadan | Iran Airtour | Birjand | Iran Aseman Airlines | Bojnord | Mahan Air | Bojnord, Jask, Saravan | Nasim Air | Mashhad | Pars Air | Birjand, Yasuj | Raimon Airways | Rasht | Yazd Airways | Sabzevar, Yazd

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 died.
• 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.
• 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; 106 people were killed.
• 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 four minutes after takeoff, but was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a residential area. 39 people were killed and nine 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.

References

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