Mahan Air is expanding its scheduled operations to Southeast Asia from its hub at Tehran-Imam Khomeini. Despite continuing economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the privately owned Iranian carrier plans to boost connectivity across its long-haul network starting in late October 2026.
Service to Vietnam, initially introduced in late summer 2026, will see higher capacity. Operations between Tehran and Hanoi will double from a fortnightly rotation to a weekly service beginning 27 October 2026, operated by Airbus A340-300 equipment. Concurrently, flights to Ho Chi Minh City shift to a weekly rhythm starting 25 October 2026.
On routes to Thailand, the airline is maintaining substantial seat capacity at Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi. From 25 October 2026, Mahan Air will operate three weekly services to the Thai capital using widebody Airbus A340-600 aircraft. This schedule aims to route transit passenger flows between the Middle East and Southeast Asian markets through Tehran.
According to aviation analysts, this expansion underscores significant technical challenges. Restricted from sourcing original Western replacement parts under the American embargo, the carrier relies heavily on older four-engine Airbus widebodies, requiring intensive maintenance logistics to sustain operations.
Why it matters for your training
Operating older four-engine widebodies under strict sanctions illustrates the technical, logistical, and airworthiness hurdles flight operations face outside conventional supply chains.
