BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 29. Iran is considering the use of foreign-owned aircraft for domestic flights to meet passenger transportation needs, said Hossein Pourfarzaneh, Vice Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Trend reports.
Speaking to Iranian media, Pourfarzaneh explained that under current aviation regulations, foreign airlines are permitted to operate flights within the country for up to 72 hours, after which they must return. This could potentially allow for foreign aircraft to be used for certain domestic flights within Iran.
Pourfarzaneh further clarified that there are no significant challenges in this direction and that a final decision on the matter is expected within one or two weeks. Additionally, the number of aircraft required and the financial impact on local airlines, ensuring they do not face losses, are currently being studied.
He added that Iran currently has around 185 registered passenger aircraft, with 130 to 150 actively flying. Efforts are underway to repair and reintegrate the remaining aircraft into service.
The Deputy Minister also mentioned that while the country's airports are valued at approximately $16 billion, the total value of its aircraft is estimated to be around $1 billion. He noted that had $2 billion of the airport value been allocated to purchasing passenger planes, the country could have three times as many aircraft.
Currently, Iran operates 54 active civilian airports, 14 of which are international, with an average of 30 million passengers transported annually.
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