IRAN: Mahan Air Routes And Destinations

Iran’s second-largest carrier, Mahan Air, is flying commercial routes to more than a dozen European and Asian countries.

A wave of new routes followed to more than a dozen countries, including France, Russia, Thailand and Denmark.

A look at the countries that have granted landing rights to Mahan Air commercial flights or are home to companies affiliated with the airline.

ARMENIA

In May 2014, Mahan Air announced a new, twice-weekly service to the Armenian capital, Yerevan. That service commenced a month later.

GREECE

Mahan Air launched in June 2014 a flight from Shanghai, China, to Athens, with a stopover in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport.

GERMANY

Mahan said in September 2014 that it has been “serving” Dusseldorf “for more than a decade” and announced Munich as its second German destination. The “flight will be operated twice weekly on Sundays and Wednesdays” and began in March 2015.

On its website, it also lists the Air Cargo Agency GmbH in Dusseldorf as one of its third-party affiliates.

CHINA

Mahan announced in late 2014 that it was expanding its network to Beijing, its third destination in China. Mahan has been flying to Shanghai and Guangzhou since 2011.

THAILAND

A route between Tehran and the Thai capital, Bangkok, was launched in October 2016. Iran has been courting Thai tourists, and Mahan Air announced an agreement this year for closer tourism ties with Thailand.

My Aviation Co. Ltd in Bangkok is among the third party companies listed on Mahan’s website.

ITALY

Mahan launched its flights to Milan in June 2015, announcing twice-weekly service, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

DENMARK

Copenhagen was one of two European Union destinations added in June 2016. A month later it celebrated its Copenhagen route with a press release that highlighted “Chinese staff helping our many Chinese passengers in Copenhagen Airport.”

FRANCE

A June 19 press release announced Mahan’s “10th destination in Europe” — Paris. The airline said it would fly from Tehran to Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays.

RUSSIA

Mahan announced a new route to Moscow, its second in Russia, in January 2016 and teased to expanding service with “some direct flights to several European and Asian countries that will be launched gradually in the late spring and summer.”

The airline announced a route to its first Russian destination, St. Petersburg, in 2013.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Mahan has long flown to the Emirate of Dubai. On its website the airline lists the Gate Wick Freight & Cargo Company as a third-party affiliate.

IRAQ

In 2012, Mahan announced the a flight to the northern city of Irbil and the Shiite holy city of Najaf.

The Treasury Department sanctioned Al-Naser Airlines, an Iraq-based company that, in 2015, transferred at least eight Airbus A340 and one Airbus A320 aircraft to Mahan. The Treasury designation said that Al-Naser procured “the Airbus aircraft from unwitting European vendors, for which Mahan Air paid tens of millions of dollars each.”

UKRAINE

In March 2016, Kiev was added to Mahan’s list of European routes.

Ukraine-based Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines (Um Air) and Bukovyna Airlines leasing and selling aircraft to Mahan Air.

TURKEY

Mahan has long flown to the Turkish cities of Ankara and Istanbul.

In December, a Mahan flight failed to stop on a runway at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul due to a brake malfunction, a press release said. The Airbus 310 hit a vacant bus as well as the guard rail and stopped. There were no injuries.

AIRMARK Airline Marketing & Services in Istanbul is listed as a third-party company on Mahan’s website.

It also lists sales offices in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

INDIA

Mahan has long flown to New Delhi and, this week, Mahan plans to launch a second daily flight to the Indian city.

AFGHANISTAN

Mahan has flown to the Afghan capital, Kabul, since 2002.

MALAYSIA

In 2012, Mahan announced nonstop service to Kuala Lumpur.

The airline also lists Icargo Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur as a third-party affiliate.

FRANCE: Air France Returns To Iran Eight Years After

French Transport Minister Alain Vidalies (centre-left) and Air France CEO Frederic Gagey (right) take part in a ribbon cutting after the SkyTeam carrier landed in Tehran for the first time in eight years on 17 April. The thrice-weekly service is operated by the airline’s A330-200 fleet.

Air France has resumed flights to Iran after an eight-year hiatus, linking the French and Iranian capitals with a thrice-weekly A330-200-operated service.

The 4,194-kilometre route between Paris CDG (CDG) and Tehran Imam Khomeini (IKA) was launched on 17 April, and will face no direct competition. That said, Iranian airline Mahan Air has plans to launch its own services between the two cities in June.

Frederic Gagey, the airline’s CEO, spoke of its “great pride in returning to Iran”.

IRAN: Iran Welcomes Russian Tourists

A delegation from Iran, headed by deputy head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Mortaza Rahmani Movahed, arrived in Moscow on Thursday to discuss cooperation in tourism with Rostourism (Russia's State Agency for Tourism).

A significant increase in Iranian tourists visiting Russia was witnessed in 2015, the Association of Tour Operators said on its website.
Nearly 34,000 Iranian tourists visited Russia in the first nine months of 2015, a rise of 111 percent when compared to the same period a year ago.
In November, Iran and Russia agreed to reciprocally launch tourism offices in their countries.
A world leader in the number of historical and artistic highlights, Iran boasts over a thousand world-class hotels and nearly as many recreational facilities are now under construction.

During a meeting with Mortaza Rahmani Movahed, Rostourism head Oleg Safonov said that Iran was one of the safest places for Russian tourism and that Russia was ready for closer cooperation in this field.

“There are many beautiful places in Russia and Iran that tourists could visit and I hope that, with the visa regime lifted, there will be more tourist exchanges between our two countries. Today we invited the heads of Russia’s leading tour companies to come to Iran and see for themselves what we can do to have more Russian tourists traveling to our country and Iranians to Russia,” Mortaza Rahmani Movahed said.

He also said that Iran could fill the void Russia’s tour industry has experienced as a result of worsening relations with Egypt and Turkey.
“Russian tourists are welcome to come any time of year and enjoy any kind of service they possibly need. We carefully study the Russians’ mentality and tastes and will try to offer them the very best service money can buy,” Mortaza Rahmani Movahed emphasized.

Meanwhile, an official with the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said that Iran planned to inaugurate a tourism representative office in Russia in the near future.

The head of the organization’s marketing and publicity department, Mohammad Kazem Kholdi, added that Iran was keen on hosting Russian tourists and would work out the details.

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei said on Thursday that Iran could abolish its visa regime for tourists arriving in the country from Russia on a unilateral basis.

Iranian airline Mahan Air will launch direct flights between Moscow and Tehran beginning January 21.

IRAN: Iran's Aviation Revived

In the 1970s, Iran's airlines were the pride of the region.

The national carrier, Iran Air, boasted a fleet of the latest Boeings and was pursuing the purchase of Concorde jets.

But following the 1979 revolution that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic increasingly at odds with the West, decades of sanctions and isolation plunged the industry into disrepair.

The average age of the fleet is now more than 22 years old, much of it comprised of cheaper Russian aircraft. Iran's inability to import vital parts has contributed to one of the worst safety records in the world.

Now, Iran's deal with world powers to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief could revitalize its aviation industry.

International investors from industries spanning energy, finance and software are clamoring to enter the region's second largest economy, worth around $400 billion even under sanctions.

Tehran has become a hot destination for foreign delegations, jockeying for position ahead of the lucrative new market opening for business.

But while many industries still face a tough task navigating sanctions, civil aviation has been given a fast track.

The nuclear agreement explicitly prioritizes "the sale of commercial passenger aircraft and related parts and services to Iran."

400 new planes

Iran has signaled its intentions to make up for lost time.

Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi estimates that 400 new planes could be needed, with Airbus and Boeing poised to rebuild the fleet and secure an enormous payday.

Negotiations with the manufacturing giants are under way.

"We have an active fleet of only 150 and the average age is very high," says Mohammad Khodakarami, director of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization.

"Many of the planes are grounded because they need repairs. We need to bring the average down below 15 years, and we need 150-passenger capacity aircraft for international flights."

Khodakarami says that talks are ongoing with leading manufacturers, including over leases for short-term cover.

He stresses that the market is healthy now new airlines such as Mahan Air now compete with Iran Air -- with huge potential for growth.

"We have more than 20 million domestic passengers a year and six million international passengers on Iranian carriers. We have growth of 6% despite sanctions and if they are lifted we think the increase will be more than 10% for 10 years."

Rob Morris, head of consultancy at aviation analysts Flightglobal expects Iran to acquire "as many as 300 new commercial jet aircraft, with an estimated value of around $18 billion" over the next 10 years.

Such an overhaul would bring Iran's fleet closer to international standards.

"If Iran's airlines are able to replace these older aircraft with newer examples they can benefit from reduced operating costs from both a fuel and maintenance perspective. This will drive increased operational efficiencies," says Morris.

Iran will likely pivot to Western markets to serve its expansion, believes Leon Manoucherians, editor of Iranian Aviation magazine.

"During the Shah's era, (Iran) had always been a western customer, purchasing mostly Boeing, Lockheed and MDD aircraft," says Manoucherians, adding that confidence in Russian aircraft has been dented by several crashes.

"All Iranian airlines, as finances permit, will switch to their beloved western aircraft."

The first Aviation Iran trade show in March 2016 is another indication of the new era, to be hosted in Dubai.

"We're getting a phenomenal response from airlines -- including the Saudis, Dubai and the West," says Alan Peaford, editor-in-chief of Arabian Aerospace magazine and chairman of the conference.

"The Iranians are desperate to get back in the game and the world (businesses) needs new markets."

In addition to fleet upgrades, Iran's infrastructure will also see massive investment. Peaford highlights radar, air traffic management, the 300 domestic airports and passenger experience as key opportunity areas for international firms.

The nuclear talks could still disrupt momentum. But as the international business elite set their sights on Iran, the new player is determined to welcome them with a world-class travel network.