Iran Airtour

Iran Airtour is a privately-owned Iranian airline that was launched in 1973. Its main base is Mashhad Airport.

Foundation and early years
Iran Airtour is one of Iran's private airlines, established in 1973 by Iran Air (Persian: هواپیمایی جمهوری اسلامی ایران) with the aim of launching tours to the cities of Iran and different countries. In 1982, Iran Airtour started scheduled domestic tours from all over Iran to Mashhad. Two years later, the airline started to develop foreign tours to China, UAE, India, Singapore and Malaysia.

Iran Airtours flight activity as an independent airline started in 1992 in Mashhad, which became the operations center of the airline. A direct air link from Mashhad to the centers of 13 provinces ensued. Iran Airtour was also responsible for operating flights from different cities to Mecca for pilgrimage, as well as regional flights with 19 aircraft to Damascus, Stockholm, Moscow, and Ashgabat.

Development since 2010
Until 2010, Iran Airtour was one of the state-owned airline companies in Iran, but subsequently, in accordance with Article 44 of the Constitutional law, ownership was assigned to Hesayar Co., a subsidiary of the Iranian Ministry of Defence. Because four of five consecutive payment checks from Hesayar Co. bounced for insufficient funds, the original assignment was canceled. After another auction in 2016, the airline was conceded to the private sector.

In October 2021, Iran Airtour got permission to fly in the European airspace, making it the second Iranian airline to be able to do so. Iran Airtour is also one of the companies that has a license for aviation training in Iran (ATO) from the National Aviation Organization. Iran Airtour is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and holds the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), audited by IATA-approved auditors. Iran Airtour Airlines consists of more than 1300 specialized and skilled personnel in different parts.

Destinations
Iran Airtour's primary base is Mashhad Airport. As of April 2023, Iran Airtour operates scheduled services to the following destinations.

Fleet
As of June 2023 the Iran Airtour fleet consisted of the following aircraft.

Accidents and incidents
Since 1993, Iran AirTour has had three fatal aircraft accidents.


 * On February 8, 1993, a Tupolev Tu-154, Iran Airtour Flight 962, shortly after departure from Tehran International Airport, crashed into a Sukhoi Su-24 of the Iranian Air Force which was landing. In this accident, all 133 people – both pilots of the Su-24 and Tu-154, all 12 crew members, and 119 passengers on board – died. The main cause of this accident was the Sukhoi Su-24 pilot's error.
 * On February 12, 2002, a Tupolev Tu-154, Iran Airtour Flight 956, flying from Tehran to Khorramabad, crashed into the Sefid Kooh mountains during heavy rain, snow and dense fog. All 12 crew members and 107 passengers died.
 * On September 1, 2006, a Tupolev Tu-154, Iran Airtour Flight 945, flying from Bandar Abbas to Mashhad, with 11 crew and 137 passengers on board, burst into flames upon landing at Mashhad International Airport, 28 out of the 148 passengers and crew died.