Iran plans to increase number of weekly flights to foreign countries

Source: /AzerNews/

Iran has increased the number of airlines and international flights, ISNA news agency reported quoting an official of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, Mohammad Khodakarami said.

Some 22 planes have been added to the national fleet since the beginning of the current year, and some others will be added by the end of the year, Khodakarami noted.

He also pointed out that the number of weekly flights to Kuwait, Bangladesh, and Turkmenistan, are planned to be increased.

Earlier on August 5, Khodakarami announced that a new Iranian airline will start operation by the next two weeks.

Khodakarami has informed that the airline owns three planes and will launch flights by the next two weeks.

Head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization Hamidreza Pahlevani said in March that nineteen airplanes were added to Iran's air fleet last year.

He also said that Tehran plans to launch two new airlines by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2014).

Commenting on licenses issued for the establishment of new airlines, the official said Iran aviation authorities have granted 18 new licenses to eligible companies last year, which are currently completing their air fleet.

Besides, recently, it has reported that Iran will add 40 new passenger planes to its national fleet in the next few months.

Iran has several private and public airline companies in operation. The oldest is the state-run Iran Air.

The expansion of Iran's civil aircraft fleet comes despite the US-led sanctions against the country's civil aviation industry since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Due to imposed sanctions on Iran, international companies are banned from selling aircraft or their spare parts to the country.

Iran is currently cooperating with Ukraine and Russia in the production and operation of the Antonov An-140 airliner, which can carry 52 passengers.

After purchasing the production license for the An-140 from Ukraine in 2000, Iran built its first Iran-140 passenger plane in 2003.