Air traffic at Iran’s main airport for domestic flights has returned to vibrant conditions seen before the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic in the country.
A report by the official IRNA news agency said the number of flights recorded on Wednesday 5 August at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport had surged to 357 for more than 35,000 passengers.
That shows a nearly six-fold increase compared to figures seen in late March when restrictions imposed by the Iranian government to curb the spread of the pandemic had caused a significant decline in air traffic at Mehrabad.
The number of daily flights at the airport hit a low of 90 for 5,000-7,000 passengers during the New Year travel season in late March.
However, the airport recorded 180 inbound flights and 173 outbound flights on Wednesday, according to a spokesman who said the day was one of busiest on record for the airport in the recent months.
It comes as the Iranian government has relaxed its broad restrictions meant to curb the coronavirus in a bid to prop up an economy that has suffered both because of the disease and due to American sanctions.
Authorities at Mehrabad airport said they have a series of strict measures in place to control the implementation of hygiene protocols meant to protect passengers against the disease.
Iran Airports Company registered a total of 120,706 domestic flights and 14,243,620 passengers at Mehrabad airport in the previous Iranian year (ending March 19, 2020) indicating an average of 330 flights with over 39,000 passengers on each day.
Month-on-gonth growth
The increased domestic flights could mean that Iranian airlines are well on their path to recovery despite a major crisis affecting the global aviation industry because of the pandemic.
According to the data released by Iran Airports Company, in the third Iranian month (May 21-June 20), a total of 21,695 takeoffs and landings were registered, which indicate a 55% jump with the preceding month.
More than 2.01 million passengers and 17,284 tons of cargos were transported during the month, indicating a 58% and 66% increase respectively month-on-month.
On the international front, 579 takeoffs and landings were registered in the third month. A total of 31,054 passengers and more than 2,687 tons of cargo were also transported to and from overseas destinations.
The number of international takeoffs and landings, as well as the handling of passengers and cargo, during the third month under review observed a 24%, 51% and 33% increase respectively compared with the preceding month.
The international front, however, is still awaiting more green lights to regain its footprint.