TEHRAN–Iranian Transport Ministry is going to launch four air taxi lines on a trial basis by the Iranian calendar month of Bahman (begins on January 20, 2021), according to an aviation official.

Arman Bayat, the member of the General Aviation Committee of the Iran Airports Company (IAC), said the mentioned four lines will be launched from Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini Airports.

“The Air taxi project will be launched in a pilot operation at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport in Bahman this year to create an opportunity to investigate potential issues and challenges during the operational process, and to address them,” Bayat told IRNA on Saturday.

As planned, the pilot operation will be carried out with the opening of Mehrabad International Airport’s small aircraft apron (aircraft parking lot) and the repair section of the airport’s Flight Control and Air Services Center for airplanes with less than nine or four seats, the official said.

Last week, Imam Khomeini Airport City Corporate (IKACC) also announced the launch of an air taxi project at this airport with an investment of 1.1 trillion rials (about $26 million) and a capacity of 59 passengers in near future.

A domestic aviation company has invested in this project, according to IKACC.

Having the oldest airline in West Asia and second oldest in Asia, Iran started developing its aviation industry nearly 80 years ago and this industry is still improving in the country, however, despite its long history general aviation (GA) in Iran has been almost completely neglected.

Recently, Iran Airports Company, Iran Civil Aviation Organization, and Aerospace Technology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology have signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) aiming for reducing navigation and aeronautics costs, using the capabilities of the aviation training sector, localizing the technologies required by the general aviation sector, and awarding the industry’s non-governmental fields to the private sector.

Launching “Air Taxi” services across the country has been chosen as the first step to achieve the mentioned goals, and the plan is being seriously followed to launch several air taxi lines in various provinces.

EF/MA