Iran says over 20 passenger planes damaged in US-Israeli attacks

The Iranian Airlines Association announced on Sunday that over 20 passenger planes were severely damaged during military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel. Maqsoud Asadi Samani, the association’s chief, told Iranian media that reports suggesting between 40 and 60 aircraft were hit “do not reflect reality.” He clarified that no more than 20 planes sustained major damage. Samani also emphasized that approximately 95% of Iran’s airport capacity was unaffected by the attacks.

Fleet status before and after strikes

Samani explained that Iran operated a total fleet of between 250 and 300 passenger aircraft before the attacks. Of those, roughly 150 were in active service, while the remainder were grounded for technical reasons. “After removing the damaged aircraft, we now have 130 active planes,” he said. The reduction from 150 to 130 active aircraft reflects the loss of roughly 20 planes—consistent with the official damage estimate.

Context of conflict and upcoming talks

The US and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,300 people before a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8. A second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran is scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad, following an initial round on April 12 that ended without an agreement. For Türkiye, which hosts major international airlines and serves as a regional aviation hub, damage to Iran’s civil aviation fleet could affect overflight routes and maintenance cooperation. Ankara has called for protecting civilian infrastructure during the conflict.