ATA AIRLINES

What ATA AIRLINES does

ATA Airlines is a privately held Iranian passenger carrier founded in 2009, headquartered in Tehran (Ekbatan Town). The airline operates a fleet of 14 active aircraft comprising Boeing 737, Embraer, and MD types, with a newly activated Airbus aircraft added in 2025 (1404 Iranian calendar). ATA serves three primary customer segments: domestic leisure and business travelers connecting major Iranian cities (Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Ramsar); Shia religious pilgrims, for whom ATA claims the #1 position in Arbaeen transportation to Najaf and Karbala; and international travelers on routes to Istanbul, Izmir, Dalaman, Bodrum, Erbil, Baku, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and planned Dubai service.

The company's core product is scheduled passenger air travel, distributed through its own website (ataair.ir), a Progressive Web App (app.ataair.ir), physical sales offices in Tehran and Tabriz, travel-agency resellers, and the AtaHoliday loyalty program. Underlying technology is conventional e-commerce booking infrastructure with no disclosed proprietary technology, AI, or data assets. The business model is unit-priced ticket sales (one-time, pay-as-you-go) with ancillary revenue from excess baggage, ticket rebooking/validation, and in-flight catering. ATA does not disclose financials publicly, is privately held by owner Zonouzi Motlagh, and is led by CEO Abdolreza Pazouki. The company cites no parent, no institutional investors, and no M&A activity. The airline is regulated by the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, whose Central Security Office publicly recognized ATA's security unit.

Name

ATA AIRLINES

Legal name

شرکت هواپیمایی آتا (ATA Airlines Company)

Website

https://ataair.ir

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ATA Airlines is a privately held Iranian passenger carrier operating 14 active aircraft on domestic routes across Iran and international routes to Turkey, Iraq, Russia, and the UAE, serving leisure travelers, religious pilgrims (notably Arbaeen), and business flyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Air Travel

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Airlines (Passenger + Belly Cargo Integrated) (THABAAAF)

Keywords

• Passenger air travel
• Domestic flight services
• International flight services
• Pilgrimage air transport
• Airline ticket booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Passenger Air Travel: ATA Airlines generates revenue primarily through the sale of passenger airline tickets for domestic routes within Iran and international routes to destinations such as Istanbul (Turkey), Najaf (Iraq), and other cities. Additional revenue streams include ancillary services such as excess baggage fees, ticket validation and rebooking services, and catering on flights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ATA Airlines operates scheduled passenger air transportation services on domestic routes across Iran and international routes to destinations including Istanbul, Najaf, Erbil, and Baku, using a fleet of 14 active aircraft. The company sells tickets directly through its website, mobile app (PWA), physical sales offices, and partner travel agencies, and serves leisure, business, and religious pilgrimage travelers. It also operates an in-house pilot training center and loyalty program (AtaHoliday).

Product overview

ATA Airlines operates as a commercial airline offering passenger air travel services. The company's product portfolio includes the main website (ataair.ir) for online booking and information, the Ata Ticket mobile app (PWA) for flight search and booking on mobile devices, and the Ata Holiday customer loyalty program. The airline also maintains physical sales offices in major cities for in-person service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ata App (اپ آتا): ATA Airlines' mobile application for booking flights, managing trips, and accessing customer services
• Ata Holiday (آتاهالیدی)
• Ata Ticket (آتا تیکت)

Products and services

• Domestic Passenger Air Travel Scheduled passenger flights connecting major Iranian cities, serving domestic leisure, business, and religious tourism travelers (including pilgrimage to Mashhad).
• International Passenger Air Travel Scheduled international passenger flights from Iran to Turkey, Iraq, Russia, Azerbaijan, and the UAE, serving tourism, business, diaspora, and religious pilgrimage (Arbaeen) travelers.
• AtaHoliday Loyalty Program (باشگاه مشتریان آتا) Customer loyalty program that allows members to earn and redeem points for discount codes on ATA Airlines flights.
• Arbaeen Pilgrimage Air Transport High-volume seasonal passenger air transport from Iran to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, dedicated to Arbaeen pilgrimage with the airline ranked #1 in Iran for this segment.
• Pilot Training Courses (B737, CRMI, ATPL) Aviation training courses (B737, CRMI, ATPL) delivered at ATA Airlines' training center for pilots and crew.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 1st in Arbaeen pilgrim transportation among Iranian airlines
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mahan Air: Largest privately owned Iranian airline, operating scheduled domestic and international passenger flights with a significantly larger fleet. Directly competes with ATA across domestic trunk routes and pilgrimage routes to Najaf/Karbala.
• Caspian Airlines: Iranian private airline operating scheduled domestic passenger flights with a smaller fleet. Comparable business model and customer base (domestic leisure, pilgrimage), positioned similarly to ATA at the smaller end of the private-carrier scale.
• Iran Aseman Airlines: Iranian private airline operating scheduled domestic passenger services with a focus on secondary cities and pilgrimage routes. Comparable fleet scale and similar private-company positioning, often bidding for the same pilgrimage and tourist flows.
• Meraj Airlines: Iranian private airline with a similar mid-sized fleet operating scheduled domestic flights including pilgrimage routes. Closely comparable on business model, scale, and route focus.
• Kish Air: Iranian private airline operating scheduled domestic flights, historically tied to Kish Island tourism. Overlaps with ATA on domestic scheduled services and competes for similar leisure and pilgrimage passenger demand.
• Qeshm Air: Iranian private airline operating scheduled domestic routes with growing international services. Similar size and growth profile to ATA, and competes directly for the same Tehran-origin leisure and religious traveler segments.
• Iran Air: Iran's flag carrier operating scheduled passenger flights domestically and internationally. Most directly comparable in mission (full-service scheduled carrier) and route network, and the primary state-backed competitor to ATA on Tehran-Mashhad and international trunk routes.
• Zagros Airlines: Iranian private airline operating scheduled domestic and regional flights with a comparable mid-sized fleet. Direct peer on domestic scheduled services and a similar private-company cost structure.
• Iraqi Airways: Iraq's flag carrier operating scheduled flights between Iraqi cities (including Najaf) and Middle East/European destinations. Directly competes with ATA on the Iran-Najaf pilgrimage corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Turkish Airlines: Large global network carrier that dominates the Tehran-Istanbul corridor and competes with ATA's international routes from Iran. While much larger and broader in scope, it is the most relevant incumbent on ATA's international network strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ataair-ir
• Instagraminstagram.com/ataair_ir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ATA AIRLINES