Qom, IR 🇮🇷 Closed Airport
IR-0178
-
3690 ft
IR-25
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 34.58114° N, 50.657481° E
Continent: AS
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: OIIQ
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The airport was never officially opened. Construction was halted indefinitely around 2016-2017.
The project was stopped mid-construction due to a major corruption scandal involving the private developer, the 'Aram Company'. The primary issues cited by Iranian judicial authorities included massive-scale land grabbing (appropriating thousands of hectares of land beyond the project's approved scope), financial irregularities, and unresolved legal disputes between the investor and the government's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development. The head of the investment company was arrested, and the project's assets were frozen, leading to a complete cessation of all work.
The site is an abandoned construction zone. Satellite imagery confirms the presence of a fully paved, full-length runway (approximately 4,200 meters) which is now showing signs of decay and is marked with large 'X's to indicate it is unusable. The main terminal building, control tower, and other auxiliary structures stand as unfinished concrete and steel skeletons. The entire area is derelict, non-functional, and inaccessible to the public.
The airport was never active and handled no operations. Its significance is rooted in its ambitious conception and controversial failure. The project was launched around 2011 as a private 'Build-Operate-Transfer' (BOT) initiative, a rarity for such large-scale infrastructure in Iran. It was intended to become a major international gateway for the millions of religious pilgrims who visit the holy city of Qom annually, which is a major center for Shia Islam. Instead of achieving this goal, the project became a high-profile national symbol of administrative corruption and failed private-sector investment, often cited in discussions about economic mismanagement in the country.
The prospects for reopening or completing the airport are highly uncertain and have been for years. Various Iranian officials have periodically announced plans to resolve the legal issues, transfer the project to government ownership (specifically the Iran Airports Company), and find the necessary funding to complete construction. However, these announcements have not yet translated into concrete action. The complex legal entanglements from the corruption case and the immense cost required to complete and modernize the decaying structures remain significant obstacles. As of early 2024, there is no firm timeline or active plan for resuming construction.
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