Iran to purchase 60 aircraft from Boeing

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Iran's Aseman Airlines and Boeing Company have inked a deal that will see Iran to purchase 60 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes.

The deal was concluded on Tuesday in Tehran. Under the deal, Iran will gradually receive the planes as of 2019, IRNA news agency reported.

Iran has several private and public airline companies in operation, among which IranAir is the oldest one. The number of operational airports in the country is 46.

Since sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic were lifted last year, Iran began to take steps to upgrade its air industry, revamp an aging airline fleet, equipment and airports.

When sanctions were eased in January 2016 after Iran certified that it had shelved its nuclear program, Tehran immediately opened talks with Boeing Co. and the European manufacturer Airbus to buy hundreds of aircraft. The deals represent the biggest commercial result of the nuclear accord.

Iran signed a $16.6 billion deal for 80 Boeing passenger jets on December 11, 2016. The deal between IranAir and U.S. plane maker Boeing includes 50 narrow-body 737 MAX aircraft and 30 long-haul 777s, split equally between the 777-300ER, which is badly in need of an order boost, and the 406-seat 777-9, which is under development.