Imam Khomeini International Airport has begun handling more commercial flights since it reopened last week, marking a cautious return to service after roughly 58 days of suspended operations following the onset of the US-Israel war on Iran. During the closure, airport screens went dark and the country’s airspace was entirely shut, leaving travellers stranded and disrupting businesses and family travel.
Air traffic resumed on April 25, with services to about 15 destinations operated by eight domestic carriers. Airlines are flying to regional and international points including Medina, Istanbul, Muscat, parts of China and Russia, but the current schedule remains only a small fraction of the roughly 150 daily flights the airport handled before the conflict.
Passengers continue to face long detours and delays. One traveller, Maryam, who planned to fly to Toronto to see her daughters, said she managed to book a ticket that routed first to Armenia with an extended layover before continuing on to Canada.
Terminals that had emptied during the shutdown are slowly filling again. Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, said a full return of foreign carriers — many of which had long operated in Iran — will depend on political stability and how individual airlines assess risk. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization reported that 20 aircraft were destroyed and are no longer operational, but said airport infrastructure was not damaged and facilities are roughly 95 percent ready.
Officials outlined a phased reopening of airspace beginning April 19: transit flights first, then domestic services, and finally the full resumption of international airport operations. Despite that plan, many foreign companies remain cautious about resuming routes amid ongoing political uncertainty and negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Airports and aviation have suffered wider damage during the conflict. Iranian authorities say more than 3,300 people have been killed and thousands injured, and civilian infrastructure has been widely affected. Mehrabad Airport in Tehran — the city’s older domestic hub — was struck several times. Other airports reported hit or damage included Kashan, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Khoy and Urmia, and several civilian aircraft were damaged. Mehrabad was previously reported as being targeted in June 2025, though officials then said runways were not damaged.
The economic fallout extends beyond airport gates. Tourism, hospitality and travel firms have lost revenue, laid off staff and curtailed operations. Tour guide Babak said many colleagues lost work when inbound and outbound tours stopped, and travel agent Bijan said his company had to cancel tours and charter flights during Nowruz, the peak holiday season, trimming staff from 20 to two while issuing refunds.
Airports are gradually coming back to life and passengers are returning, creating a fragile sense of normalcy. Each resumed departure reconnects people and businesses to the outside world, even as uncertainty on the ground endures.