Tehran, Iran, Dec. 20
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran has sent the engines of 14 airplanes to foreign countries in order to be repaired.
Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi said that 7 engines have been fixed and returned, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Dec. 20.
The Iranian minister further stressed that the country's civil air fleet should be renewed.
"We also need to launch a transportation network between Tehran's airports.
Akhoundi said on August 31 that the country plans to increase the number of its air fleet to 500 planes.
Head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization Alireza Jahangirian said on October 14 that the country needs at least 300 active airplanes.
"We currently have less than 150 active planes," he said.
He went on to note that Iran currently owns 20 international airports.
Jahangirian previously said that most of Iran's current aircraft would be out of service by Iranian calendar year of 1404 (2025) so the country needs to annually add 30 aircraft to its fleet.
"That would annually cost at least $1 billion for Iran's aviation industry," he noted.
Following the Geneva interim deal to ease a decade-long standoff over Iran's nuclear activities, Tehran was allowed limited purchases of aircraft parts and repairs.
The Geneva deal took effect on January 20 and expired on July 20. However, the two sides agreed to extend their talks for four months till Nov. 24 to reach a permanent deal on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
During a meeting held on November 24, 2014, the sides agreed to extend the talks for further seven months.
On July 24, AFP reported that Boeing has struck a deal with Iran Air to provide plane parts, the first time the US firm will be doing business with Iran since the US embargo of 1979.
Boeing will supply goods and services "related to the safety of flight" to Iran Air, the country's flag carrier, according to a regulatory filing published on July 23.