Kish Airlines (Persian: هواپیمایی کیش, Havāpeymāyi-e Kish) is an airline operating from Kish Island, Iran.[1] It operates international, domestic and charter services as a scheduled carrier. Its main bases are Kish International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran.[2]

Kish Airlines
IATA ICAO Call sign
Y9 KIS KISH AIR
FoundedDecember 16, 1989
Commenced operations1990
Hubs
Fleet size11
Destinations27
Parent companyKish Free Zone Organization
HeadquartersKish Island, Persian Gulf, Iran
Key peopleCap. Ebrahim Siyahjani (CEO)
WebsiteKishairlines.ir

History

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The airline was established on December 16, 1989, and started operations in 1990. It is owned by Kish Free Zone Organisation (79%), Kish Investment and Development (11%) and Kish Development and Servicing (10%).[citation needed]

To start its passenger operations, after receiving temporary operations permission, the airline leased two aircraft (three Tupolev Tu-154 and four McDonnell Douglas MD-82/MD-83) from Bulgaria Airlines on a wet lease. Kish Air received its air operator certificate (AOC) in 1991, thus becoming the first private company to receive its AOC from Civil Aviation of Iran. At this time the company began wet-leasing three Tupolev Tu-154Ms from Russian leasing companies, returning the previously leased Bulgarian aircraft. The company also wet-leased two Yakovlev Yak-42D aircraft from Russia.

Towards the end of 1992, the company was at the verge of bankruptcy, and most of the key managers were replaced.[when?] In 1999, Kish Air having enough financial strength, decided to replace its wet-leased fleet with dry leased and purchased aircraft, and was able to operate two dry leased and two purchased Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft and hire and train the required aircrew and maintenance personnel. At present[when?] Kish Air also operates a fleet of medium-range MD-80 series aircraft and short-range Fokker 100 on its domestic and international routes.

Destinations

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As of September 2023, Kish Air operates services to the following destinations:

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Iran Abadan Ayatollah Jami International Airport
Ahvaz Qasem Soleimani International Airport
Asaluyeh Persian Gulf Airport
Bandar Abbas Bandar Abbas International Airport
Chabahar Chabahar Konarak Airport
Gorgan Gorgan Airport
Isfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport
Kish Kish International Airport Hub
Lamerd Lamerd International Airport
Mashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport Hub
Qeshm Qeshm Airport
Rasht Rasht Airport
Sari Dasht-e Naz Airport
Shiraz Shahid Dastgheib International Airport
Tabriz Shahid Madani International Airport
Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport Hub
Mehrabad International Airport Hub
Yazd Shahid Sadooghi Airport
Zahedan Zahedan Airport
Iraq Najaf Al Najaf International Airport
Kazakhstan Aktau Aktau International Airport
Almaty Almaty International Airport
Oman Muscat Muscat International Airport
Turkey Istanbul Istanbul Airport
United Arab Emirates Dubai Dubai International Airport

Fleet

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Kish Air McDonnell Douglas MD-82 at Dubai International Airport
 
Kish Air Airbus A320 at Mehrabad Airport, Tehran

As of April 2023, Kish Air operates the following aircraft:[4]

Kish Air fleet
Aircraft In service Order Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A321-200 2 28 142 170 1 stored
28 142 170
Fokker 100 2 100 100
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 5 161 161 One recently received from the Taliban from Kam Air[5]
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 2 156 156
Total 11

Fleet development

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In April 2017, it was announced that the airline planned to order six aircraft from ATR, with variant and delivery dates announced if, and when, the deal is signed by the airline. The aircraft were planned to be used to increase the number of flights on domestic flights in Iran.[6]

Former fleet

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The airline previously operated the following aircraft (at November 2017):[7]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 19 September 1995, Kish Air Flight 707 was hijacked by flight attendant Reza Jabbari and landed in Israel, where the hijacker was arrested. Jabbari requested asylum and declared his intention of converting to Judaism.[8] Sentenced to eight years in prison, he served four years but was granted asylum and remained in Israel.[9] He eventually became an Israeli citizen and converted to Judaism.[10]
  • On 10 February 2004, Kish Air Flight 7170, operated by a Fokker 50 Mk.050, crashed at Sharjah International Airport killing 43 people. There were three survivors with serious injuries. The cause was that the propellers were put into reverse pitch while the aircraft was in flight.[11][citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Directory: World airlines." Flight International. 23–29 March 2004. 94.
  2. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 101.
  3. ^ "Kish to Dubai flights has been launched". 9 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 17.
  5. ^ "Iran Bought 29-Year-Old Airplane from Taliban".
  6. ^ "Kish Air to buy six aircraft from ATR". www.iran-daily.com. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Kish Air Fleet Details and History". www.flightradar24.com.
  8. ^ Linzer, Dafna (1995-09-27). "Iranian Hijacker Wants To Stay In Israel". AP News. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  9. ^ Refeal, Tabby (2022-05-04). "One Israel Story You've Probably Never Heard". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  10. ^ "Iranian hijacker converts to judaism". The Dawn. 2007-03-03. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  11. ^ "AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT 01/04" (PDF). General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
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