Mahan Air: The Iranian Private Airline Under International Sanctions

History and positioning

Born in 1992, Mahan Air grew to become one of Iran's main private carriers, with a network that historically extended farther into Asia and the Gulf than that of many other national carriers.

The fleet

Dozens of secondhand Airbus and Boeing widebodies, some with decades of service (A300, A310, A340), acquired mainly on the used market given the impossibility of ordering new aircraft directly because of sanctions.

The sanctions problem

The airline has been under US Treasury (OFAC) sanctions since 2011 for allegedly supporting the activities of the Quds Force; several European countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, banned its flights starting in 2019, and in 2024 the EU took steps to exclude it from its skies altogether after accusations of transferring drones to Russia.

Routes and network

The network historically reached Southeast and East Asia, the Gulf and part of Europe; today it is concentrated on the destinations still accessible despite the bans, mainly in Asia and the Middle East.

The suitable passenger profile remains very narrow: travelers with few alternatives on specific Asia-Iran or Gulf-Iran routes. It is absolutely unsuitable for those whose itinerary depends on an EU stopover, given the ban in force. The practical tip: check the current validity of the route before booking, because this carrier's sanctions situation has changed several times in recent years.