Official: Iran needs 500 passenger planes

Iran needs to buy up to 500 passenger planes in the next 10 years to renovate its aging fleet, head of the country’s aviation organization says. 

A number of plane manufactures have traveled to Iran over the past year, discussing possible agreements and assessing the market, Ali Reza Jahangirian said, without naming the airlines.

“Aircraft manufactures are seriously working to forge interaction with Iran and not fall behind in the race once the situation changes,” the head of the Iran Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said.

The official said Iranian airlines are currently operating with a fleet of about 140 aircraft, which is “very lower than average international norms in terms of international indexes of population and area”.

“Over the past year, several aircraft manufactures repeatedly travelled to Iran and held discussions with the airlines and the organization (ICAO) in the area of assessment of the Iranian transportation market,” Jahangirian said.

The Iranian aviation industry is under US sanctions which have resulted in a series of aerial mishaps and deaths of hundreds of people.

Those sanctions, however, have not prevented Iranian airlines from keeping their fleet airworthy and Jahangirian said his organization’s revenues rose 60% last year.

A preliminary agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in November 2013 led to an easing of sanctions on the aviation sector.

Boeing entered into an agreement with Iran Air in 2014, which generated $120,000 in gross revenues, the American company said then.

The deal included sale of aircraft manuals, drawings and navigation charts as well as data to the Iranian flag carrier airline.

American engine manufacture General Electric has also received permission from the US government to sell spare parts to Iran.

HB/HB

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