Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
Major International Airport in Iran
Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) is the center of international flights in Iran, with an area of more than 14 thousand hectares.
So, since most international travelers to Iran fly to this airport, this article is very helpful if you are planning to travel to Iran.
In this blog, you will find an overview of the history of Imam Khomeini Airport, its different parts, the facilities of this airport, how to access Imam Khomeini Airport, the airlines operating in this airport, etc.
Please stay with us, and if you have questions about Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, do not hesitate to contact us.
10 Tourist Advice from Legendaryiran Experts on IKA Airport
- Tehran International Airport (IKA) is located 50 km outside Tehran, and due to the city’s traffic during rush hours, you may need up to 2 hours to travel this distance.
- Imam Khomeini Airport is for international flights, and Mehrabad Airport is for domestic flights. The distance between these two airports is about 50 km, which takes 1.5 to 2 hours during rush hours.
- When waiting for a flight at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, it is better to stay in the airport hotels rather than going to the city center and staying in Tehran hotels. Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport’s Rexan and Remis hotels provide a variety of reservation hours; you can stay there for a few hours at a reasonable rate.
- If you are driving from Isfahan or Kashan to IKA Airport for an international flight, remember that this airport is located before Tehran. Therefore, it is best to avoid going to Tehran if your flight is early in the morning or late at night. Instead, it is preferable to rest in airport hotels for a few hours before the flight. If you would like a free consultation in this regard, please contact us.
- It is possible to buy a SIM card, exchange money, buy travel insurance and get the Iran airport visa (for those who have already received the visa code online) at Imam Khomeini Airport.
- The best means of transportation at the Tehran International Airport are airport taxis. These taxis are officially registered, abundant, safe, new, and neat and have fixed and reasonable rates. Also, they are more comfortable than buses and subways.
- Since the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport is the country’s main international airport, it can be very crowded at certain times of the year. Hence, there might be long lines for passport control and airport visa.
- There are both western-style and squat toilets in IKA Airport, although most are squat. Another point is that since all bathrooms have water, there may be no toilet paper in some of them.
- In almost every public hall of the airport, there are restaurants, coffee shops, All kinds of fast food, Iranian and international dishes, snacks, desserts, and hot and cold drinks are served in these places.
- The distance between Imam Khomeini International Airport and Tehran Railway Station is about 46 kilometers.
About Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
Imam Khomeini Airport is one of the leading international airports in Iran, which is located 30 km southwest of Tehran.
Tehran International Airport (IKA) has been operating since 2007, and it is the third busiest airport in Iran, after Mehrabad Airport in Tehran and Mashhad Airport.
This international airport has an area of about 14 hectares, which includes large spaces and parking lots with high capacity.
Airlines at IKA Airport
All international flights to Tehran are taken place from IKA airport, while Mehrabad Airport is dedicated to domestic flights. Accordingly, Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport receives flights from about 50 Iranian and international airlines.
Iranian airlines operating at Imam Khomeini Airport include Iran Air, Mahan, Kish Air, Aseman, Zagros, Caspian, Qeshm Air, Meraj, Ata, Taban, etc.
On the other hand, the most important foreign airlines that operate daily flights at Tehran International Airport are Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, Fly Dubai, Austrian Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Pegasus, and more.
Terminals of Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport
The Imam Khomeini Airport has three terminals, of which two are currently in use, i.e., Terminals No.1 and Salam Terminal. Terminal No.1, with an area of 78,000 square meters, is the main Terminal of IKA Airport.
Annually, these two terminals can handle about 10 million passengers. However, it is estimated that with the inauguration of terminal No.2, the Tehran International Airport’s reception capacity will increase to about 30 million passengers per year.
Imam Khomeini Airport Services
Imam Khomeini Airport offers various facilities to international flight passengers. In the following, we introduce some of these facilities.
Restaurant and Cafes: There are several restaurants, fast food, and cafes operating in this airport, which offer a wide range of food, snacks, desserts, and beverages; Cafe Tehroon provides breakfast and light snacks, BurgerLand serves Iranian fast food, and Amir Chocolate provides drinks and desserts. The other restaurants and cafes include Tanoorak, Café Land, Persian Café, and Qeshm Airline Restaurant.
Bank and Exchange Office: There are two banks and one exchange office at the exit hall of IKA.
ATMs are also available at the airport terminal for cash withdrawals. You can also use your Iran tourist card at these ATMs. It is important to note that your credit card will not work in Iran.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to purchase an Iran Tourist Card.
Mobile Operators Booths: To buy Iranian Simcard, you can refer to mobile operators’ booths at Tehran International Airport. The best mobile operators that offer Temporary Iranian Simcards are Irancell and Hamrah-e Aval.
Free Wi-Fi: After checking in your luggage, you can use the free Internet at Imam Khomeini Airport. You can request the password during baggage delivery to use the airport’s free Wi-Fi.
Duty-Free Shops: If you need to stay at Imam Khomeini International Airport for a couple of hours, airport shopping can entertain you. There are several stores at Imam Khomeini Airport that offer various goods, including different kinds of luxury goods, Iran souvenirs, and food.
Parking Lots: Imam Khomeini Airport houses five covered and open parking lots used for short and long-term stopovers.
The table below shows you the Parking fee at Imam Khomeini International Airport.
CIP services: Using CIP services, instead of standing in check-in queues, baggage delivery, etc., you can relax in the CIP Hall and enjoy delicious food and drinks.
Besides, the process of carrying the luggage, getting the boarding pass, and boarding the aircraft is carried out by the CIP expert team.
Car rental Offices: International travelers to Iran can rent a car at Tehran International Airport. The car rental offices located at Imam Airport help these passengers by providing a variety of luxury and economical cars.
Accordingly, the two car rental companies at Imam Khomeini Airport are Tosseh Andish Sepand Company, a world pioneer in the car rental industry, and Europcar, with an experience of more than 60 years in the car rental industry.
Buying Travel Insurance: Foreign nationals arriving at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport can obtain travel insurance at the airport. There is an insurance booth at IKA airport to issue travel insurance online as soon as possible.
According to Iranian insurance company regulations, international passengers’ insurance premiums are as follows:
IKA Airport Customs: All foreign nationals wanting to enter or leave Iran should be familiar with the Iran customs regulations for goods and currency. So, if the passenger’s goods must undergo customs or quarantine, they will be referred to Imam airport customs.
Getting an Iran Airport Visa at Tehran International Airport
Tourists and passengers traveling to Iran for business or administrative purposes and entering Tehran via Imam Airport can apply for airport visas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office at this airport. Notably, obtaining the Iran airport visa, also called visa on arrival (VOA), is possible for citizens of more than 70 countries.
Iran Airport Visa Requirements
- Citizens of all countries, except the United States, England, Canada, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Colombia, and Somalia, can apply for an Iran visa through the https://evisa.mfa.ir/en/ website before their trip and designate the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport for collecting visa. An applicant can also choose between a one-day and a thirty-day stay.
- An email confirmation will be sent to the applicant’s email address after the visa application is accepted.
- To receive the Iran visa stamp at the airport, applicants must present the original passport with a minimum validity of six months, along with the original and a photo of their travel insurance card (you can also purchase this insurance at Imam Airport). Also, since foreign bank cards are not working in Iran, the passengers must pay the visa fee in cash.
- Foreign currencies accepted are the US dollar, Euro, British pound, UAE dirham, Swiss franc, Japanese yen, Kuwaiti dinar, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Omani rial, Qatari Rial, Saudi Riyal, or Bahraini dinar (but preferably Euro).
Finally, please note that it is impossible to issue airport visas for political passports, service passports, and refugee certificates at the airport.
Hotels near Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
The five-star Rexan Hotel and the four-star Remis Hotel are located opposite the Tehran International Airport Terminal. They are connected to the terminal by a pedestrian bridge. You can also travel between hotels and the airport terminal with free shuttles.
These airport hotels were built by the French hotel group Accor on seven floors and have been operating since 2016. Interestingly, Tehran International Airport hotels offer short-term stays, such as 3, 5, 8, and 10 hour-stays.
Transportation to and from Imam Khomeini International Airport
Imam Khomeini International Airport is located southwest of Tehran, about 1 hour from the city center (this duration depends on the amount of traffic). To travel between Tehran city center and Imam Khomeini International Airport, which is located outside the city, you can use the following methods.
Taxi: Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport is serviced by various taxi companies, which provide Samand, Toyota, Renault, Volkswagen Caddy, Sonata, Ario, and vans. So, you can go to the taxi booths at Imam Khomeini Airport to get a taxi.
Additionally, by purchasing an Iranian SIM card and installing online taxi applications such as Snap and Tapsi on your phone, you can hail an online taxi to travel between Imam Airport and other destinations.
Notably, in most cases, the online taxi fee for a specific route is lower than that taxi companies charge.
Metro: Line No. 8 of the Tehran Metro has a stop at Imam Airport, but if you have heavy luggage, it won’t be easy to use the subway.
Bus: Hourly buses travel between Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport. They also have stops at the Holy Shrine and Azadi Square.
Imam Khomeini Airport Flight Information
The flight information, i.e., the list of outgoing and incoming flights of Imam Khomeini Airport and other required information about this airport are available on the Imam Khomeini Airport City Website.
Missing Items at Imam Khomeini Airport
Suppose you have left or lost any item at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. In that case, you should report it to the baggage officer, and they will refer you to the airport police station. Note that a series of rules must be followed to retrieve your missing items.
Regulations regarding the delivery of missing items are as follows:
- Ascertaining the owner’s identity by the airport police. You should show your original passport or any other means of identification, such as the national identity card or birth certificate.
- Showing the ownership document, such as purchase invoice or box of audio and video equipment (such as camera, mobile phone, laptop, tablet, etc.).
- Submitting the purchase invoice of gold and jewelry.
Frequently Requested Sections at IKA Airport
⦁ Bank and ATM: Meli and Saman banks at the public hall and on the ground floor.
⦁ Currency Exchange: At the departure hall, next to the east entrance gate
⦁ Travel Insurance Booth: Saman Insurance booth at the transit hall
⦁ Load and Freight Services: At the entrance hall on the ground floor next to Saman Bank
⦁ Internet Cafe Services: Next to the Load and Freight Services
⦁ Veterinary and Plant Quarantine: Veterinary at entrance hall A, and plant quarantine is located in entrance hall B.
⦁ Metro Station: On the connecting bridge in the exit hall of terminal No.1
⦁ Airline Offices: Some are located in the corridor of the offices on the middle floor of the terminal, and others are on the west side of the entrance hall and in the corridor next to the restaurant.
⦁ Mobile Charging Stands: At the exit hall, next to the police inspection gates, and in the CHECK-IN hall among the rows of counters.
⦁ Mailbox: In Terminal 2, there are mailboxes in the entrance and exit halls, located outside the hall, between the entrance doors.
Finally, please leave your comments if you have any other information or questions about Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Most Frequent Questions and Answers about
Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
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