Two New Airliners To Join Iran Fleet

Tehran, Sept 22, IRNA -- Head of Iranian Civil Aviation Organization Hamid-Reza Pahlevani said on Saturday that two commercial passenger planes recently joined national flag-carrier. “Two Airbus A320 planes have joined national air fleet over the past two weeks,” Pahlevani said. He noted that a total of 22 new airliners have been added to the national air fleet since beginning of the current Iranian year (started on March 21, 2013). He added that 6 other airplanes are also due to join the fleet in the near future. In late August, Pahlevani said that Iran plans to refurbish the aging air fleet by increasing the number of passenger planes to 500 within the next 13 years, with the aim to lower the average age of the planes. Iran has several private and public airline companies in operation. The oldest is the flag-carrier Iran Air. The expansion of Iranian civil aviation comes despite the US-led sanctions since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The US imposed sanctions of 1995 banning aviation companies from selling aircraft and repair parts to Iranian airlines. The US sanctions endanger the safety of civil aviation in Iran because they prevent Tehran from acquiring parts and essential support for aviation safety. The sanctions are also contrary to article 44 of the Chicago Convention, to which the US is a signatory. The International Civil Aviation Organization -ICAO- says aviation safety affects human lives and human rights, and stands above political differences./end