ATA Airlines Takes Delivery of First of 15 Embraer Jets

Iran’s fourth largest airline, ATA, took delivery of its first Embraer ERJ 145 jet late Friday.

The secondhand 50-seat jet is the first of 15 aircraft, which has been purchased recently.

According to ATA’s public relations, the company recently finalized plans for adding 15 Embraer passenger planes to its fleet, aiming to start new domestic routes to smaller cities and flights to neighboring countries.

Mohammad Reza Zonnouri, the owner of the airline, says ATA expects to take delivery of all of the planes by the end of the current Iranian fiscal year (March 2018), noting that his firm might purchase more Brazilian planes in the future if they help raise profitability.

Zonnouri noted that starting domestic and international flights from Ardebil, Maku and Maragheh top the airline’s agenda.

Airline officials were not available to provide details about the age and value of the Embraer jets.

The one landed in Tabriz Airport on Friday was manufactured in 2002, according to CANN, a local aviation media.

Embraer competes internationally with Canadian rival Bombardier for the title of third-largest airplane maker after Airbus and Boeing.

The company organized events from August 29 to 31, 2016, in Tehran, including an educational session and a conference. It also operated two demonstration flights around Tehran using an Embraer E190 model, a double-engine 100-seat capacity regional jet.

The Tabriz-based ATA operates eight McDonnell Douglas MD-83s, three Airbus A320s and four Boeing 737s.

ATA, along with Pouya Airline, is the only Iranian airline operating Embraer jets. It performs 80 flights per day, making it the fourth busiest Iranian airline after Iran Air, Mahan and Aseman.

“The company is expecting a boost in its market share after enhancing its fleet,” said ATA’s CEO Abdolreza Pazouki.

“We have also been holding talks with European firms to establish a standard repair and maintenance center in Tabriz Airport,” he said, without elaborating further.