Iran on Tuesday announced the reopening of its major airports, including Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport and resumption of domestic flight operations, ending a 50-day suspension triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran, as a fragile two-week ceasefire is nearing its end.
The first service to restart will be on the Tehran-Mashhad route. According to the announced schedule, flight number 3502 will depart from Tehran to Mashhad at 10:00 am, and the return flight number 3503 will depart from Mashhad to Mehrabad at 12:30 PM on the same day, Mehr News Agency reported.
The resumption follows approvals from the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, Iranian media reported.
The country’s aviation authority has outlined a four-phase plan to reopen the national airspace. The initial phase will allow transit flights to resume, followed by limited operations from eastern airports.
In the third phase, major hubs including Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport will resume services, while the final phase will cover airports in western Iran.
“Airline ticket sales are currently suspended, and people should pay attention to … official announcements for the latest airport status and ticket purchase options,” IRIB cited the Civil Aviation Organization’s deputy director as saying.
The suspension of flights came after the hostilities began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Gulf countries. A temporary ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, has been in effect since April 8, ending on April 22, with diplomatic efforts ongoing to secure a longer-term truce.
Separately, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviation, on Monday lifted flight restrictions in Iranian airspace, which had been imposed in response to the Iran war.
Russia’s aviation authority resumed permissions for routes to the United Arab Emirates. The agency said operations would proceed in line with Iranian safety guidelines, while continuing to monitor the regional security situation.
Transit flights and flights to airports in Iran may be operated in strict compliance with all recommendations of the Iranian aviation authorities, it added.
“Specialists from the Ministry of Transport and Rosaviation continue to analyze the situation regarding the operation of civil aviation in the Middle East in order to make adjustments to Russian airlines’ flights in the region if necessary. Safety is a priority,” it said.
Recent developments, including the reported seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel by US forces and Tehran’s move to close the Strait of Hormuz, have added uncertainty, even as diplomatic channels remain active.
