Mehrabad Airport (Persian: فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد, Foroudgâh-e Beyn Almelali-ye Mehrâbâd) (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII), is an airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Prior to the construction of the larger Imam Khomeini International Airport in 2007, Mehrabad was Tehran's primary airport in both international and domestic traffic, but now serves only domestic flights. Despite this, in 2016, Mehrabad Airport was the busiest airport in Iran in terms of passengers, handling 16,678,351 passengers in total. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran and is one of the bases of the Iranian Air Force.
History
Terminals 1 and 2
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.[3]
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.
In 1955 just after construction of 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 1961, Mehrabad Airport added a side building (current Terminal 2) used for arrival flights.
In May 1975, Iran Air started flying to New York via London with a Boeing 707.[4] The airline launched direct service to New York using Boeing 747SPs the following June.[5][6] The construction of a new airport commenced 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Tehran in 1977. The city was growing around Mehrabad, and the airfield was witnessing high amounts of traffic.[7][8] Between 1970 and 1976, passenger counts had risen from 900,000 to 3,020,000.[9] 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.[10] It ultimately relented and permitted his arrival at Mehrabad aboard a chartered Air France plane eight days later.[11] At the beginning of the Iran–Iraq War in September 1980, Iraq carried out an air strike on the airport.[12] In the 1980s, Mehrabad's route network spanned from Paris to Beijing.[13]
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.[7] 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.[14] Iran Air commenced service to Caracas on a Boeing 747 in March 2007.[15][16] The flights stopped in Damascus and were operated under a codeshare agreement with Conviasa.[17] Seven months later, Iran Air handed the route over to the latter. Conviasa operated the link with an Airbus A340.[18][19] All international flights had moved to Imam Khomeini Airport by November 2007.[14]
In June 2020, Mehrabad Airport announced a new terminal to replace Terminals 4 and 6. The new terminal is to have 20 gates (10 with jetbridges) and a new CIP Terminal. It is not known when construction will start.
Operations
Mehrabad Airport only handles domestic flights.[20][21] Between March 2022 and March 2023, the airport received 12.3 million passengers.[21]
Facilities
Mehrabad International Airport consists of 4 terminals:[22]
Formerly, Mehrabad had a Terminal 3 that was used for Hajj Flights, which were transferred to Imam Khomeini. Later it was used for Cargo flights which were also transferred to Imam Khomeini.
On 5 December 1974 a roof collapsed, killing 17 and injuring dozens more.[34]
On 21 January 1980 Iran Air Flight 291 crashed into the Alborz mountains on approach to Mehrabad, killing all 128 people on board.[35]
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.[36]
On 20 April 2005, Saha Airlines Flight 171 [fa; fr], 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.[37]
On 2 January 2008, an Iran AirFokker 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.[39]
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 4 minutes after takeoff, but was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a residential area. 39 people were killed and 9 were injured.[40]
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.[41]
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.[42]
^R. Frank Futrell, “The Development of Base Facilities,” in The Army Air Forces in World War II, vol. 6, Men and Planes, Wesley Frank Craven and James Lea Cate, eds. (Washington, D.C., Office of Air Force History, new imprint, 1983), 157, 160; John D. Carter, “The Air Transport Command,” The Army Air Forces in World War II, vol. 7, Services Around the World, ed. Wesley Frank Craven and James Lea Cate, 42, 44–45 (Washington, D.C., Office of Air Force History, new imprint, 1983).
^Spaeth, Andreas (17 June 2007). "Nach Diktatur verreist". Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
^"مسیرهای پروازی". Mehrabad Airport (in Persian). Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^"ارتباط با هماArchived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." IranAir. Retrieved on 12 January 2011. "آدرس : تهران ، جاده مخصوص كرج ، بلوار فرودگاه ،ادارات مركزي هما ، ساختمان پشتيباني ، طبقه دوم ، اتاق 217"
^"Contact IranAirArchived May 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." IranAir. Retrieved on 12 January 2011. "Address: No.221,Second Floor,Public Relations,Support Services BLd., IranAir H.Q.,Mehrabad Airport,Tehran,Iran."
