Baku, Azerbaijan, May 10
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran has imported 17 new planes for its civil aviation fleet since February 20, 2015, said Abbas Akhoundi, Iranian transport and urban development minister.
Two of the planes are old and only their parts will be used as spare parts for other planes, Iran's Fars news agency reported May 10.
The average age of the new planes is 12-13 years, he said, adding that they reduced the national aviation fleet's age by one year to 19 years.
The planes will add 4,000 seats to the country's aviation fleet and reach it to 26,000 seats, he noted.
It was decided in January 2015 that no plane with over 15 years of age is allowed to be imported to the country, the minister said.
Iran's aviation fleet needs 300 new planes, head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization Alireza Jahangirian said in October 2014.
The Iranian aviation industry has suffered losses as a result of the international sanctions, he added.
The national aviation fleet is comprised of 250 airplanes, but 100 of the airplanes are grounded due to the shortage of spare parts, he added.
Iran and the P5+1 reached a nuclear framework agreement on April 2 in Lausanne which raised hopes for achieving a comprehensive nuclear deal by June 30.
The deal provisions the removal of all international sanctions against Iran in exchange for the country scaling down its nuclear activities.
The Iranian aviation industry is under international sanctions. Western imposed sanctions have barred Iran from buying western aircraft since the 1970s.