Mahan Air

Mahan Airlines, operating under the name Mahan Air, is a privately owned Iranian airline based in Tehran, Iran.[3][4] It operates scheduled domestic services and international flights to the Far East, Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe. Its main home bases are Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport. Mahan Air is affiliated with the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Mahan Airlines was banned between 2019-2020 from Germany, France, Italy and Spain due to its involvement with the Maduro government in Venezuela and the Assad regime in Syria. In 2024 the airline was sanctioned by the European Union for transporting weaponry to Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian War. It was also suspected of transferring money to Hezbollah, in Lebanon. The airline is also sanctioned by the United States.

History

Corporate affairs

Mahan Air is headquartered in Tehran.[27] Its current slogan is "The Spirit of Excellence."[27] Mahan Air loyalty program, called the Mahan Club "Mahan & Miles", includes access to special lounges and dedicated "fast" queues.[28]

Destinations

As of October 2023, Mahan Air operated flights to domestic destinations and international destinations in countries across Asia and Europe.[29] Mahan Air served 45 destinations in 10 countries.[30][31]

Fleet

Incidents

• On 23 February 2006, a Mahan Air Airbus A310 operating a flight from Tehran, Iran, was involved in a serious incident while on approach to Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft descended to the published minimum descent altitude of 740 ft despite still being 11 nm from the runway threshold. At a point 6 nm from the runway, the aircraft had descended to an altitude of 660 ft, which was 164 ft above ground level. Having noticed the descent profile, Birmingham air traffic control issued an immediate climb instruction to the aircraft, however, the crew had already commenced a missed approach, having received a GPWS alert. The aircraft was radar-vectored for a second approach, during which the flight crew again initiated an early descent. On this occasion, the radar controller instructed the crew to maintain their altitude, and the crew completed the approach to a safe landing. The accident investigation determined that the primary cause was the use of the incorrect DME for the approach, combined with a substantial breakdown in Crew Resource Management. Three safety recommendations were made.[38]
• On 23 September 2013, a Boeing 747-300 registered EP-MNE operating as Flight 5070 from Kerman to Medina aborted takeoff after V1 and excursed from the runway. All 443 people survived, and only 13 were injured. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service but would be involved in another accident two years later.[39]
• On 13 June 2014, an Airbus A310 registered EP-MNX was struck by a passenger bus while parked at Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport. The aircraft was unoccupied at the time of the incident and was repaired.[40]
• On 15 October 2015, the same aircraft involved in the Flight 5070 incident operating as Flight 1095 from Tehran to Bandar Abbas, experienced an engine failure after taking off from Tehran. The aircraft returned to Tehran and made an emergency landing with no injuries to the 441 people on board reported. The aircraft was almost damaged beyond repair. However, in April 2021, after being in a C-Check and being repaired for over six years, the plane was re-activated.[41]
• On 24 December 2015, Mahan Air Flight 112, an Airbus A310 registered EP-MNP, rolled off the apron at Istanbul while taxiing at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. All 166 people survived, and the aircraft was repaired.[42]
• On 19 June 2016, a British Aerospace BAe-146-300 registered EP-MOF operating as Flight 4525 from Ahvaz to Khark overran the runway after landing at Khark Airport and was substantially damaged. All 89 people on board survived with no injuries, but the aircraft was declared a hull loss.[43]
• On 23 July 2020, it was reported that a Mahan Air Airbus A310-300 registered EP-MNF operating as Flight 1152 from Tehran to Beirut, was escorted by American fighter jets over Syrian airspace. The airplane landed in Beirut with three injuries reported.[44]
• On 3 October 2022, a bomb threat on Mahan Air Flight 81, an Airbus A340, travelling from Tehran to Guangzhou caused the Indian Air Force to scramble fighter jets as the aircraft passed through Indian airspace.[45][46] The threat was received at Delhi air traffic control from Lahore air traffic control[47] when the aircraft was about 200 km west of Delhi. The flight made three circles as it waited to land in Delhi, but was denied. The flight then offered to land at other Indian airports, but the requests were not taken up. The bomb threat was later called a hoax on receiving information from Tehran and only then was the flight able to reach its destination.[48][49]
• On 26 December 2022, Mahan Air (W5) Flight 63 from Tehran (IKA) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) made an abrupt diversion to Kish International Airport (KIH), as it was approaching Dubai over the Persian Gulf. The Airbus A340 was reportedly ordered to land by Iranian authorities to prevent the wife and daughter of Ali Daei, Iran's most famous footballer, from leaving the country.[50]

Further reading

External links