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Ukrainian airline operating in Iran at discount prices

Business Materials 20 September 2014 12:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.20

By Fatih Karimov - Trend: A Ukrainian airline is operating in Iran, competing with Iranian rivals through launching flights at discount prices.

The Ukrainian airline got the license to operate in Iran about three months ago. Its services have been welcomed by Iranian travelers since then due to reasonable prices, Iran's Mehr news agency reported on Sept. 20, without disclosing the Ukrainian airline's name.

International sanctions against the Iranian aviation industry have caused a monopoly by one or two Iranian airlines to set ticket prices at their own interests, so that the prices are not affordable for many travelers.

Following the Geneva interim deal to ease a decade-long standoff over Iran's nuclear activities, which came in to force on Jan. 20, Tehran was allowed limited purchases of aircraft parts and repairs.

An ageing fleet as well as import of aircraft and its spare parts is the main challenge of the Iranian airlines.

Iran's four largest carriers - Iran Air, Aseman Airlines, Mahan Air and Iran Air Tours - all have average fleet age above 22 years, according to the Iranian media outlets.

Out of Iran's 250 commercial planes, about 150 were flying while the rest are "not functional" due to a lack of spare parts, Ali Reza Jahangirian, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said on May 1.

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