Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.18
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iranian airlines owe some 6.3 trillion rials (about $203 million) to the State Airports Company.
Mohammad-Ali Ilkhani, the managing director of the State Airports Company, said except for six airports, all other airports in the country are losing money, Iran's IRNA news agency reported on Aug. 18.
Currently, 54 airports are operating in the country, but just six airports are able to make ends meet, he added.
"Four new airports are being established in the cities of Saqqez, Boroujerd, Gonabad, and Torbat Heidarieh. However, these airports will be probably loss-making," he said.
Last year, the State Airports Company's income amounted to 8.5 trillion rials, he noted.
Number of daily flights passing through Iran's air space has reached 866 on Aug. 11, which is a new record in the country's aviation history.
Ilkhani said security risks in Ukraine, Iraq, and Afghanistan have persuaded international flights to pass through Iran's air space, Iran's IRNA news agency reported Aug.12.
The number of flights more than doubled on Aug. 12 compared to the same day last year, Ilkhani said.
Deputy CEO for Aeronautical Operations at Iran Airports Company (IAC) Ebrahim Shoushtari said on Aug. 4 that the country's airspace has the capacity to receive over 750 passing flights each day, Iran's Fars news agency reported.
Shoushtari said earlier that, following the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s request, Iran declared readiness to admit passing flights which intend to change their route and use Iran's aerial space.