- Mahan Air was founded in 1991 as Iran's first private airline with domestic routes from Tehran
- The US sanctioned Mahan Air in 2011 for supporting the Quds Force and transporting military cargo
- India allows Mahan Air flights mainly for humanitarian missions despite global bans on the airline
A US airstrike at Iran's Mashhad airport this week has once again pulled Mahan Air into global focus. Iranian officials claim one of the airline's aircraft was damaged in the strike, disrupting what they described as a humanitarian mission to India.
The plane, they said, was scheduled to fly to New Delhi on April 1 to collect essential medical supplies, part of ongoing aid efforts after India sent its first consignment through the Iranian Red Crescent Society on March 18.
The Iranian embassy in New Delhi publicly thanked Indians for the support. US officials, however, have not yet confirmed the strike or the extent of the damage.
Yet, beyond the immediate incident lies a much longer, far more controversial story. For over three decades, Mahan Air has operated at the intersection of civil aviation, geopolitics, and persistent allegations of covert activity, banned across much of the world, but still able to land in India.
From Private Airline To Strategic Asset
Founded in 1991, Mahan Air was Iran's first private airline, beginning operations in 1992 with domestic routes from Tehran. What started with Soviet-era aircraft soon expanded into a sizeable fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets, often acquired through complex or opaque channels due to international sanctions.
Behind this rapid growth, however, lay deeper concerns. The airline has long been linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, specifically its elite Quds Force. Western governments have repeatedly alleged that Mahan Air functions less like a conventional airline and more like a logistical arm of the Iranian state's regional operations.
That perception would shape its global fate.
Why Much Of The World Banned It
In 2011, the United States formally sanctioned Mahan Air, accusing it of providing material support to the Quds Force. The allegations were serious: transporting weapons, personnel, and funds to conflict zones under the guise of civilian flights.
One by one, countries followed.
A Mahan Air airplane at Delhi airport. Photo: Ananya Bhattacharya
Germany banned the airline in 2019, citing security concerns and its role in ferrying fighters and equipment to Syria. France, Italy, and Spain soon imposed restrictions. Saudi Arabia had already barred the airline in 2016, pointing to both safety violations and security risks. By 2024, the European Union imposed a broader ban, linking the airline to shipments of drones and missiles to Russia.
Today, Mahan Air is effectively shut out of the US, UK, Canada, and most of Europe.
The Arms Smuggling Allegations
At the heart of the controversy are repeated accusations that Mahan Air has been used to move military cargo across regions.
Western intelligence and independent investigations have claimed that the airline has operated frequent flights to Damascus and Beirut-routes allegedly used to supply weapons to groups like Hezbollah. There have also been reports of flights linked to Venezuela and, more recently, Russia.
Even outside geopolitics, Mahan Air's operational history has raised eyebrows. Photo: Unsplash
Some investigations have pointed to suspicious booking patterns-thousands of tickets issued under repeated or false names-and to pilots with alleged links to the IRGC. The claim is that civilian aviation provided the perfect cover: routine flights, minimal scrutiny, and plausible deniability.
Tehran, however, has consistently denied these accusations, maintaining that Mahan Air is a legitimate commercial carrier.
A Troubled Safety Record
Even outside geopolitics, Mahan Air's operational history has raised eyebrows.
The airline holds a relatively low safety rating and has been involved in multiple incidents over the years, though notably without any fatal crashes. Among the more concerning episodes:
- A near-miss in Birmingham in 2006 after a navigation error during descent
- A runway overrun in 2013 during a rejected take-off
- An uncontained engine failure in 2015 with over 400 passengers onboard
- Multiple runway excursions, hard landings, and technical failures in recent years
These incidents, often involving ageing aircraft, have contributed to regulatory concerns. Saudi Arabia explicitly cited safety issues when it banned the airline, adding another layer to its already complicated reputation.
Why India Still Allows It
Despite the global clampdown, India has never imposed a blanket ban on Mahan Air.
Instead, we have taken a more pragmatic approach-allowing the airline to operate on a case-by-case basis, particularly for humanitarian and evacuation missions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mahan Air flights were used to transport stranded Indians and medical samples. In more recent years, it has helped evacuate citizens during regional tensions.
This flexibility stems from India's broader strategic relationship with Iran, spanning energy ties, regional connectivity projects like Chabahar port, and the need for diplomatic balance in a volatile region.
In effect, while Western nations prioritised security concerns, India has often prioritised access, evacuation capability, and humanitarian logistics.
The reported US strike at Mashhad airport brings all these threads together. Iran has called the strike a violation of international norms, even a "war crime".