Description

With 70 aircraft in its service and 34 of them currently airworthy, Mahan Air is Iran’s largest and most successful airline, transporting passengers and cargo to domestic and international locations. Established in 1994, the airline has a role in supporting the covert operations of the Quds Force of the Iranian regime, and the external arms of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Middle East and Latin America, and for this reason, sanctions have been imposed on the airline by the US government, restricting its flight paths to locations where it can refuel. Despite these severe sanctions, Mahan Air has expanded its fleet, procuring Western-designed second-hand aircraft for parts and service through a network of companies it has established in countries such as Armenia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Turkey. Alongside more than 125 colour photographs are details of each aircraft operated, leased and owned by Mahan Air, and the origins and prior service of each, together with those of its operating partners.