Minister: Iran to Renovate Air Fleet with New Planes
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran plans to add about 500 new passenger planes to its air fleet in coming 10 years in order to renovate the sector, an Iranian minister announced.
Speaking to reporters in a visit to Imam Khomeini International Airport, south of Tehran, on Thursday, Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Iran plans to buy 500 new passenger planes by 2025.
Akhoundi said that in the first step, a number of planes will join the country's air fleet by 2016.
He further announced that to that end negotiations are underway with top world companies.
He said the first step to buy the planes will be taken soon after the implementation of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers.
Earlier in April, head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had said the country needs to buy up to 500 passenger planes in the next 10 years to renovate its aging fleet.
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, the ICAO chief said at the time.