Iran Air’s brand new ATR 72-600 turboprop landed in Parsabad Airport in the northern province of Ardabil on Thursday, which marked the reopening of the regional airport after five years of closure.
Parsabad is the country’s northernmost city, located near Iran’s border with the Republic of Azerbaijan. The airport was launched 44 years ago, but its operations were halted five years ago due to poor infrastructure.
The ATR 72-600 has a seating capacity of 70.
Farzaneh Sharafbafi, Iran Air’s CEO, said the flag carrier will start weekly flights from Parsabad to Tehran in February, using its recently purchased regional planes, the airport’s website quoted her as saying.
“We have plans to start Parsabad-Baku flights, once the airport is fully developed,” she added.
Rahmatollah Mahabadi, the head of Iran Airports Company, said the government has spent about 260 billion rials ($5.9 million) on the development of the airport.
Iran Air took delivery of its seventh and eighth ATR turboprops on December 30. The Franco-Italian planemaker is also expected to deliver 12 more planes by the end of 2018.
Flights from Bandar Abbas to Zahedan, Kish and Chabahar under the “Iran Air Regional” title and new flights from Ahvaz, Ardabil, Rasht and other cities located in Caspian provinces are among the new routes launched using the ATR fleet.
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