50 Airlines Seek Operating Licenses!

If all 50 pending applications lead to company formation, applicants will need to provide at least 250 aircraft in total: 150 owned and 100 leased.

The head of the country's air transport organization announced the activity of 36 airlines and submitted about 50 applications for the establishment of new companies and said that the number of applications is still increasing, but the organization will be strict in issuing licenses. According to the new regulations, each company must have at least five planes; Three owned cars and two rented cars.

This means that the queue for the establishment of airline companies in Iran has become longer, but the main question is, where are these companies' planes going to be supplied from? In an industry where sanctions have made it impossible to provide fleets and continue foreign flights, the increase in the number of airlines without the arrival of new aircraft, more than a sign of development, can lead to the division of limited facilities among more companies.

It has also been announced that until the end of the third year of the seventh development plan, no airline will operate with one, two or three planes. This decision, on paper, promises the end of the activity of small fleet companies, but in practice, its implementation depends on the answer to a question that cannot be bypassed by the directive: where are the sources of aircraft supply?

If all 50 applications lead to the establishment of the company, the applicants must provide a total of at least 250 aircraft; 150 owned cars and 100 rented cars.

Of course, the establishment request is different from the activity license, and this calculation only shows the dimensions of the possible need. However, this number is enough to explain the necessity of explaining the origin of the fleet. Will these planes enter the country or will they be separated from the fleet of existing companies?

In the second case, the number of companies increases, without necessarily providing more seats for passengers. Moving aircraft between airlines does not mean fleet expansion by itself; Even if the result is issuing new licenses and installing new signs. This concern is raised in a situation where US sanctions have made foreign cooperation in the supply of aircraft, parts and flight services more difficult.

However, the suspension of all foreign flights is not an accurate description of the situation; The pressure of sanctions has stopped some routes and made the continuation of others more costly and uncertain. So, it's not just about the number of planes. Five planes registered in a company's documents do not necessarily mean five planes ready to fly. The condition of the fleet becomes meaningful when it is accompanied by financial strength, maintenance support and the possibility of regular flight schedule. Otherwise, the set minimum may become an administrative condition.

In short, the aviation organization should clarify how many cases have reached the licensing stage, what plans the applicants have for supplying the fleet, and how the new capacity will be measured. Rigor is credible when it results in reliable flights, not in the number of closed cases. The airline industry needs capable companies; An increase in names does not replace an increase in aircraft. For the passenger, the record of this policy will be clarified not at the licensing desk, but at the time of buying the ticket and flying the plane.