Iran says airport infrastructure largely intact despite air fleet losses

Iran’s aviation sector has sustained losses following US-Israeli strikes, with up to 20 aircraft reportedly damaged, although most airport infrastructure continues to function, according to industry officials.

The Secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines, Asadi Samani, said the country had between 250 and 300 aircraft prior to the escalation, of which only around 150 were operational.

“Taking into account the damaged fleet, there are currently about 130 serviceable aircraft in Iranian aviation,” he said.

Despite the impact on aircraft, Samani stressed that key runways have not been damaged. He added that, provided airspace security is ensured, more than 90–95% of the country’s airport capacity could quickly resume normal operations.

Earlier reports indicated a partial restoration of air traffic across six Iranian airports, including Tehran. On April 18, the first passenger flight since the partial reopening of Iranian airspace departed from Oman to the Islamic Republic.

By Aghakazim Guliyev