<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-04-09</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001116435</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AIRVANA INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AIRV</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001206588</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GLIDDEN JEFFREY D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AIRVANA, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>19 ALPHA ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHELMSFORD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01824</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>VP, CFO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-04-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>420764</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
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                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>2.163</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-04-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>408782</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>5.487</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-12-12</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>408782</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
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                <value>2010-04-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>40000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>2.44</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2018-02-03</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>40000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.33</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2010-04-09</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>50000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>2.32</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2019-02-09</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>50000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
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            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 17, 2009, by and among the issuer, 72 Mobile Holdings, LLC and 72 Mobile Acquisition Corp. in exchange for a cash payment of $3,218,844.60 ($7.65 per share) on the effective date of the merger.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">This option, which provided for vesting as to 20% of the shares of common stock subject to this option on December 13, 2006 and the remaining 80% of the shares to vest in equal quarterly installments over the succeeding four years, was canceled in the merger in exchange for a cash payment of $2,242,986.83 representing the difference between the exercise price of the option and
the market value of the underlying common stock on the effective date of the merger ($7.65 per share).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This option, which provided for vesting as to 25% of the underlying shares on February 4, 2009 and as to an additional 6.25% each three-month period thereafter until the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, was canceled in the merger in exchange for a cash payment of $97,600 representing the difference between the exercise price of the option and the market value of the
underlying common stock on the effective date of the merger ($7.65 per share).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">This option, which provided for vesting as to 25% of the underlying shares on February 10, 2010 and as to an additional 6.25% each three-month period thereafter until the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, was canceled in the merger in exchange for a cash payment of $116,000 representing the difference between the exercise price of the option and the market value of the
underlying common stock on the effective date of the merger ($7.65 per share).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Peter C. Anastos, Attorney-in-Fact for Jeffrey D. Glidden</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-04-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
