Iran Air says 130 to 140 aircraft can fly

Iran Air Managing Director Tahir Abdulhay said at a press conference reported Oct. 19 that only 130 to 140 of the carrier’s more than 300 aircraft were able to fly, Entekhab reported.

Abdulhay said Iran Air should have 1,000 aircraft rather than a little over 300, according to the news report, underscoring the pressure sanctions place on Iran’s civil aviation capacity.

Abdulhay was quoted as saying: “We should have 1,000 aircraft, but we have just over 300. Of these, 130 to 140 were able to fly, and 30 to 40 were destroyed in the war.” The report did not provide aircraft-by-aircraft data or further detail on the conflict he referenced.

He said problems obtaining spare parts had reduced the number of aircraft in operation and caused the company to lose some revenue-generating markets. The report did not identify those markets.

U.S. economic sanctions on Iran have made it harder for the country’s aviation sector to buy new aircraft, obtain parts, arrange maintenance and access international finance. Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and renewed sanctions disrupted Iranian efforts to purchase aircraft from manufacturers including Airbus and Boeing, according to the report.

Atlas360 reported on Sept. 21 that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned countries against landing, fueling or ticketing sanctioned Iranian carriers, adding pressure on aviation services tied to Iran.

Source: news report, Son Dakika/AA citing Entekhab, Oct. 19, 2026