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About 95% of Iran’s airport capacity remained intact after U.S. and Israeli attacks, the country’s airlines association said Sunday, while confirming that more than 20 passenger aircraft were significantly damaged.
Maqsoud Asadi Samani, head of the Iranian Airlines Association, said reports suggesting that between 40 and 60 aircraft were damaged “do not reflect reality,” according to Iranian media.
He said no more than 20 passenger planes were seriously damaged, while the majority of airport infrastructure remained operational.
Samani said Iran has between 250 and 300 passenger aircraft, with around 150 in service before the attacks and the remainder grounded for technical reasons.
“After removing the damaged aircraft, we now have 130 active planes,” he said.
The announcement came as Iran prepares to reopen its airspace to commercial flights.
Iran’s aviation authority said the reopening will take place in four phases. The first phase will allow transit flights to resume, followed by flights from airports in eastern Iran in the second phase, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The third phase will restore operations at Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports, while the fourth and final phase will include flights from 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 a deputy director of the Civil Aviation Organization as saying.
No timeline was provided for the reopening process.
The semi-official Mehr news agency reported Saturday, citing the Civil Aviation Organization, that flight operations across the country will be gradually restored based on the technical and operational readiness of both military and civilian authorities.
The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,300 people before a two-week ceasefire took effect on April 8 following mediation by Pakistan.
Washington and Tehran are preparing for a second round of talks in Islamabad on Tuesday after an earlier round on April 12 ended without agreement.
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