Iran purchases second-hand Airbus planes

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Iran is taking measures to renovate its ageing aviation fleet. With this purpose, the country imported 15 secondhand airplanes last year to use their parts in its airline fleet.

"An Iranian aviation company managed to purchase 12 second-hand liners and use it in domestic flights. In a year, following a preliminary agreement on nuclear issues between Iran and major world powers (2014), another Iranian company imported 17 more Airbus planes to the country of which 15 were used in international flights and two of them were dismantled to be used in Iranian aging planes," IRNA news agency reported on August 20.

The report also highlighted that Iran’s minister of road and urban development, Abbas Akhoundi had also discussions with Airbus officials two weeks before the nuclear deal reached.

Iran reached interim nuclear deal with P5+1 in November 2013 and the comprehensive nuclear deal was achieved on July 14.

The Iranian minister in his news conference in International Diplomatic Academy even threatened France that Paris might lose 80 billion dollars worth trade with Iran if the country does not change its stance towards Tehran, according to the report.

In a meeting between Abbas Akhoundi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, in Tehran two weeks after the nuclear deal was reached, Iran’s urgent need for 50 passenger airplanes was stressed, the report says.

The report also noted that although the sides did not sign any agreement, however the way was paved to buy brand new planes from the world’s famous companies.

Mohammad Khodakarami, the caretaker director of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization has recently said a leading French company specializing in airport architecture and engineering voiced interest in the development of three key airport projects in the Islamic Republic.

He said ADPI Group is already engaged in talks with Iranian officials over the expansion of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, as well as the development of Mashhad and Shiraz airports.

The Islamic republic also plans to buy as many as 90 planes per year from Boeing and Airbus to revamp its antiquated fleet once Western sanctions are lifted.

Iranian officials earlier said the county will need 400-500 civilian aircraft worth at least $20 billion in the next decade to renovate its aging fleet which has suffered under years of U.S. and European sanctions.

Earlier this year, Iran added 9 new planes less than 10 years old to its air fleet.

The U.S.-led sanctions on aircraft and spare parts exports to Iran have left Iranian airlines saddled with not only some of the oldest fleets in the Middle East, but also in the world.

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