Mahan Air- Iran's Largest Airline

Established 31 years ago by means of a fleet of Soviet-made Tupolev Tu-154 passenger aircraft, Mahan Air soon turned into the largest airline of Iran. Despite being highly sanctioned by the US government and many other EU countries, Mahan Air has managed to take the place of Iran Air, Iran's flag carrier, in many of the domestic and international routes to Iran in recent years. Under control of retired Generals of Islamic Revolutionary Guard of Corps (IRGC), the airline plays an important role in transportation of personnel and troops of the Quds Force (IRGCQF) branch of the force from Iran to Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Within the past eleven years, thousands of IRGCQF members were deployed to Syria using passenger aircraft, such as the large fleet of Airbus A310s of the airline. Mahan Air also serves political interests of the Iranian government in the Middle East and Latin America.