Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 3 /Trend/
Iran started to design and to produce 120-passenger aircrafts, ISNA reported quoting Head of Defence Industries Training and Research Institute Mohammad Eslami as saying.
"The Iranian defense industry has successfully produced a domestic aircraft with a total capacity of 52 passengers and plans to increase the capacity of Iran140 to 120 passengers," he said.
The country's defense industry will reduce noise inside Iran140's cabin by 10 decibels, he added.
Eslami noted the domestically produced aircraft will meet country's needs and will be exported in the future as well.
Before the Islamic revolution, Iran's commercial air fleet consisted of Boeing made in the U.S. and French Airbus, while Iran Air was considered the second for security level of air carrier in the world.
After the appearance of a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the U.S. in November 1979 when a group of students - active supporters of the Islamic Revolution in Iran - seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Washington imposed embargo on selling to Iran the new U.S. aircrafts and spare parts. The ban has forbidden to sell to Iran the aircraft, with at least 10 percent of U.S. production.
Imposed embargo led to a significant decay of the Iranian commercial aircraft fleet, because of the lack of spare parts, they are not maintained properly. Iran is forced to buy second-hand American aircrafts from other countries, as well as aircraft Tupolev from Russia.
Iran Air Company has recently purchased aircrafts produced in Russia and other post-Soviet. Currently, Iranian vehicles have a limited access to European airports.