Nine Airbus Aircraft Enter Iran's Aviation Fleet

According to the Secretary of the Iranian Airlines Association, nine Airbus aircraft entered Iran's aviation fleet last week and have been stationed at four airports. According to Fars News Agency, these aircraft include three models: Airbus A340-600, A310, and A321, with a total of over three thousand seats. The report states that these aircraft, which reportedly have an average age of about 15 years, landed last weekend at Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports in Tehran, as well as in Isfahan and Mashhad, but have not yet officially joined Iran's aviation fleet. Maqsoud Asadi Samani, the Secretary of the Airlines Association, stated on Sunday, May 20, to Fars: 'These nine Airbus aircraft belong to Mahan Airlines, and their purchase and transfer reached final stages late last week, after which they entered the country collectively.' According to ISNA, the purchase of these nine aircraft has broken the record for the largest single purchase and entry of aircraft into the country since the Islamic Revolution. However, this purchase occurs while sanctions against Iran's aviation industry continue, and Iran is only permitted to purchase aircraft parts. Mehrdad Emadi, an economic expert and advisor to international organizations residing in London, told Radio Farda that this new purchase does not signify circumventing sanctions. According to this expert, 'Last year, the office of the U.S. President issued a permit for Boeing to refurbish parts of Iran's aviation fleet related to the U.S. for the safety of Iranian citizens in air travel, and Boeing has been carrying out these repairs for some time.' He added that 'the purchased aircraft are delivered in such a way that they cannot be converted for military transport, which is one of the key conditions for delivering aircraft to Iran.' In this context, Mohammad Habibi, Deputy of Flight Standards at Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, also stated in an interview with ISNA on Sunday that 'the process of purchasing these aircraft began months before the lifting of some nuclear sanctions.' He added, 'Unfortunately, despite promises from foreign airlines to lift restrictions, we still face many problems in this area, and these nine new aircraft have also entered the country using the capabilities of one of the domestic airlines, and all negotiations regarding their entry have been pursued discreetly to prevent further restrictions.' Earlier, in mid-April, Maqsoud Asadi Samani had told ILNA that 'following agreements after the Geneva negotiations, openings for lifting some sanctions on the aviation industry have been made, which are currently being implemented.' On the other hand, Alireza Jahangirian, head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, recently stated that Iran will need 400 to 500 aircraft in the next ten years, announcing that 'Iran's aviation fleet currently consists of 140 operational aircraft, which is very low according to international standards related to population and country area.' According to Jahangirian, after signing the temporary Geneva agreement in 2013, the U.S. allowed Boeing and General Electric to sell aircraft parts to Iran, which facilitated the addition of about ten aircraft to Iran's fleet. 'The entry of 17 aircraft into Iran's aviation fleet since the beginning of Esfand 1393' According to Fars News Agency, Abbas Akhoundi, Minister of Roads and Urban Development, announced on Sunday, May 20, that 17 aircraft have entered Iran's aviation fleet since the beginning of Esfand 1393. He stated: 'Of the 17 aircraft that have entered the fleet since Esfand 1393, two are being used for spare parts due to their old age, and the other 15 will gradually obtain flight permits.'