Iran Air Purchases Four Boeing 747 Aircraft

Details of the purchase agreement between Iran Air and Boeing have revealed that Iran Air will acquire four new Boeing 747 aircraft in addition to the 777 and 737 models. Boeing had initially offered three models: 737, 777, and 787. The 787 is considered the most advanced model of Boeing, but due to technical complexities and issues with its prototypes, Iran Air has decided against purchasing it for now and has instead ordered the Airbus A350. Instead of the 787, Iran Air has opted for the new series of Boeing 747. Iran Air is one of the oldest users of the Boeing 747, but this month the last of its Boeing 747 SP series has been grounded due to technical problems, leading the company to cancel its flights to Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 747 SP, registration EP-IAC, is the last passenger model of this aircraft in the world, having entered service in 1975 with a range of over 12,000 kilometers. Pan American and Iran Air were the first users of this aircraft globally. The longest non-stop flight in the world was conducted by Iran Air with this aircraft between Tehran and New York in the late 1970s. In 2014, the last of Iran Air's 747-100 series was grounded, and in early 2016, three 747-200 series aircraft were also grounded. Now, with the grounding of the last 747 SP, there are no long-range aircraft left in Iran Air's fleet. However, it seems that with the new purchases from Boeing, the 747 model will return to the company's fleet. According to a Reuters report, Iran Air will receive 109 Boeing aircraft in its first agreement with Boeing since 1979. The direct purchase of 80 of these aircraft from Boeing is valued at $17.6 billion, while 29 will be leased to Iran Air. Of the 80 purchased aircraft, 46 will be narrow-body, including 40 Boeing 737 MAX and 6 Boeing 737NG. There will also be 34 wide-body aircraft, including 4 Boeing 747-800, 15 Boeing 777-300ER, and 15 Boeing 777-9. Iran Air will also receive 29 Boeing 737 NG aircraft on a lease-to-own basis. The 737 NG is the third generation of the successful Boeing 737 family, currently produced in three series: 700, 800, and 900. Some analyses suggest that the best option for Iran's needs for aircraft with a capacity between 100 and 200 seats is the Boeing 737, which is considered the safest passenger jet in the world, with capacities ranging from 120 to 240 passengers. According to Boeing, the 737 MAX has up to 8% lower operating costs per seat compared to its main competitor, the Airbus A320neo. Iran Air has also ordered 45 Airbus A320 aircraft. On the other hand, Iran Air will receive 46 Boeing 737 in one phase and 29 Boeing 737 in another phase, bringing the total number of aircraft in this class for Iran Air to 120. It is estimated that Iran will need around 600 new aircraft, of which 60% will be for medium-range aircraft with a capacity of 100 to 200 passengers. With Iran Air's orders from Boeing and Airbus, nearly half of Iran's needs for such aircraft will be met. One of the biggest weaknesses of Iran's current air fleet is the lack of long-range aircraft. Currently, the only long-range models in Iran's air fleet include 11 Airbus A340 from Mahan Air and one Airbus A340 from Aseman Airlines. After the grounding of its 747 aircraft, Iran Air has no long-range aircraft left. The purchase of 34 wide-body Boeing aircraft, all of which are among the longest-range aircraft in the world, will compensate for this significant weakness of Iran Air. The 777 model is the longest-range aircraft in the world, with the highest safety rating. Most airlines in the world use the Boeing 777 for their long-range aircraft. The purchased series by Iran includes 15 Boeing 777-300ER and 15 Boeing 777-9. The 300ER series has a range of 14,500 kilometers with a capacity of 380 passengers in three classes. The 900 series has a range of 14,000 kilometers with a capacity of 430 passengers in three classes. The 747 models are likely to be delivered to Iran Air sooner than the other models. Some reports indicate that the sale of the last Boeing 747 model has been around 120 units, and for this reason, Boeing has announced it will reduce the production of the 747 to only one unit per month. This news could be good for Iran Air, as the company would otherwise have to wait several years for the delivery of its orders for other Boeing models due to full capacity, while they could receive the Boeing 747-8, the newest model of the jumbo jet, in the shortest time possible. The Boeing 747 has a very illustrious history in Iran, and the technical staff and pilots of Iran Air are very familiar with this aircraft. After Pan American, Iran Air was one of the first buyers of the 747-100 and 747-200 series. After this purchase, Iran Air's managers realized they needed a longer-range aircraft for direct flights between Iran and the United States than the regular 747s, so they ordered the SP model from Boeing. With the delivery of the Boeing 747 SP, Iran Air began its direct flights between Tehran and New York, which at that time was considered the longest non-stop flight in the world. In the new contract with Airbus, Iran Air has requested to purchase 12 Airbus A380 aircraft. This purchase has faced criticism, as some believe the Airbus A380 has two disadvantages for Iranian airlines compared to the Boeing 747: first, only two airports in Iran can accommodate such an aircraft, and second, the maintenance costs of this aircraft are very high. The 747-8 model has a range of 15,000 kilometers and can carry 600 passengers. However, the Boeing 747-8 has advantages over the Airbus A380 in terms of power-to-weight ratio, safety, and fuel consumption.