Iran Air to Receive 2 ATR Planes in September

Iran Air will receive more planes from its order for French-Italian ATR aircraft, as the government’s push for the financing of the planes the flag carrier has bought makes progress.

“Two ATR planes will enter Iran’s air fleet in September,” deputy minister of roads and urban development Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan was quoted by the ministry’s news portal as saying on Wednesday.

Iran Air has signed a contract with ATR to purchase 20 of the planemaker’s turboprop regional plane to complete a post-sanctions shopping list which also includes 100 Airbus and 80 Boeing jets.

The state-airline has so far received three Airbus and four ATRs. Iran Air said it will receive five other ATRs by the end of December, but aviation authorities were concerned about the deliveries amid uncertainty surrounding the financing of the planes.

Washington’s hostile stance toward Iran, as well as remaining US sanctions have kept major European banks and big financial institutions from doing business with Iranian companies.

The first few jets received from both Airbus and ATR were financed by their manufacturers, but the Roads Ministry has said it will chose financiers for the rest of the orders through a tender.

“Five financier companies from China, Norway, and some other European countries will make their offers until mid-September,” Fakhrieh-Kashan said.

“We have defined [financing] packages for the purchase of the planes. The first package is for seven planes. If the first package is successful, this method will continue.”