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Mehrabad International Airport
Tehran Mehrabad International Airport (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII) – commonly known as Mehrabad Airport – is an airport located in the city of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Formerly serving as the city's primary airport for both domestic and international flights, it now primarily handles domestic traffic following the opening of Imam Khomeini International Airport for international flights in 2007. Despite this, Mehrabad remains the busiest airport in Iran by passenger volume and aircraft movements.
The airport opened in 1938 and serves as Iran's main airport. Since its establishment it has been the busiest airport in the country. In 2017, it handled 17,464,216 passengers. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran, and is one of the bases of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. It is capable of accommodating various types of aircraft. Mehrabad is operated by the Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company and remains critical to the country's aviation network. Playing a strategic role in domestic connectivity and government aviation operations.
Mehrabad Airport serves 60 nonstop destinations through 23 airlines as of 2025. It is largely served by Iran Air, the flag carrier and largest airline in the country. The airport has four active terminals, built throughout different time periods in order to reach the airports capacity.
The site was originally called Base-J and was the site of the Imperial Iranian Army's first Armored and Mechanized artillery forces provided by the Czechoslovakian Skoda Works, under the command of General Mahmud Mir-Djalali (grandfather of Pierre Omidyar).
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. 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 the construction of the 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 May 1975, Iran Air started flying to New York via London with a Boeing 707. The airline launched direct service to New York using Boeing 747SPs the following June. 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. Between 1970 and 1976, passenger counts had risen from 900,000 to 3,020,000.
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. It ultimately relented and permitted his arrival at Mehrabad aboard a chartered Air France plane eight days later.
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Mehrabad International Airport
Tehran Mehrabad International Airport (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII) – commonly known as Mehrabad Airport – is an airport located in the city of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Formerly serving as the city's primary airport for both domestic and international flights, it now primarily handles domestic traffic following the opening of Imam Khomeini International Airport for international flights in 2007. Despite this, Mehrabad remains the busiest airport in Iran by passenger volume and aircraft movements.
The airport opened in 1938 and serves as Iran's main airport. Since its establishment it has been the busiest airport in the country. In 2017, it handled 17,464,216 passengers. The airport is also used by the Government of Iran, and is one of the bases of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. It is capable of accommodating various types of aircraft. Mehrabad is operated by the Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company and remains critical to the country's aviation network. Playing a strategic role in domestic connectivity and government aviation operations.
Mehrabad Airport serves 60 nonstop destinations through 23 airlines as of 2025. It is largely served by Iran Air, the flag carrier and largest airline in the country. The airport has four active terminals, built throughout different time periods in order to reach the airports capacity.
The site was originally called Base-J and was the site of the Imperial Iranian Army's first Armored and Mechanized artillery forces provided by the Czechoslovakian Skoda Works, under the command of General Mahmud Mir-Djalali (grandfather of Pierre Omidyar).
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. 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 the construction of the 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 May 1975, Iran Air started flying to New York via London with a Boeing 707. The airline launched direct service to New York using Boeing 747SPs the following June. 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. Between 1970 and 1976, passenger counts had risen from 900,000 to 3,020,000.
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. It ultimately relented and permitted his arrival at Mehrabad aboard a chartered Air France plane eight days later.