Tehran, Iran, Aug. 31
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
Iran plans to increase the number of its air fleet to 500 planes.
Iran's Road and Urban Development Minister, Abbas Akhoundi said that currently 145 planes are operational in the country, IRNA mews agency reported on August 31.
"We have to ensure the safety of flights," he said, adding that some $250 million will be invested in the aviation industry.
Head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization, Alireza Jahangirian said in June that the country totally has 251 planes.
"Iran plans to increase the number of its aircraft up to 500 by Iranian calendar year of 1404 (2025)," he added.
Jahangirian said on June 24 that the country plans to ban 20 years old planes from flight in the near future.
"Iran is among 6 countries in the region that has had fatal airplane crashes," he said, ISNA news agency reported.
"Increasing the safety of flights is among top priorities of Iran Civil Aviation Organization," he added.
"The sanctions imposed on Iran caused a lot of problems for the country's aviation industry, but we are trying our best to renovate and equip the Iranian airlines," he explained.
Jahangirian said earlier this month that the country plans to increase the number of its aircraft up to 500 by Iranian calendar year of 1404 (2025).
"Iran plans to four-fold its passenger transfer rate," he said, ISNA reported on June 16.
"In that case the country's passenger transfer rate will reach 100 million people," he said.
Deputy Director of Iran Civil Aviation Organization Hamid Habibi said on June 11 that Iran has added 5 aircraft to its air fleet from the beginning of the current Iranian year (which stated on March 21).
He went on to note that some other aircraft will be added to the country's air fleet by the end of the current year (March 21, 2015).
Jahangirian said on December 7 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 air fleet.
"That would annually cost at least one billion dollars for Iran's aviation industry," ISNA quoted Jahangirian as saying.
Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister, Abbas Akhoundi said on September 11 that the situation of Iran's aviation industry is not satisfactory.
"The country's air fleet is old, which raises safety concerns," Tasnim news agency quoted Akhoundi as saying.
"Customers are not satisfied with the services the domestic airlines provide," he added.
He went on to note that old airplanes consume more fuel compared to the new ones; therefore the new aircraft are economically justified.
Managing Director of Iran Airtour Airline, Sirous Baheri said Sept. 1 that over 60 percent of Iran's planes are grounded due to technical and logistic issues.
Iranian airlines' air fleet is averagely 22 years old, according to the ISNA news agency.