Iran’s flag-carrier Iran Air plans to launch a new subsidiary airline “IranAir Regional” to launch flights to neighboring countries including Turkey. The carrier plans to use its ATR fleet on those regional flights. The carrier’s CEO said in September that they have plans to use its ATR fleet in Ardebil-Baku and Ardebil-Van flights in near future.
Iran Air signed a firm order in April 2017 with ATR to purchase 20 ATR 72-600s and ATR has recently delivered two more turboprop planes to Iran Air bringing the total number of deliveries to six from the package of 20. The rest is due to be handed over to the country by the end of 2018, including a further three this year.
Iran’s aviation officials had already said the ATR fleet may be based in the Caspian city of Rasht to connect small towns to big cities such as Tabriz and Mashhad in Iran and the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.
IranAir has also signed a deal with Boeing in December to purchase 80 passenger planes. In addition to the Boeing aircrafts, in January, Iran Air signed agreements to buy 118 planes from Airbus, before cutting the number to around 100.
The country has so far received three Airbus jets and will get another by end-year. The first Boeing is due around May 2018.
Source: Financial Tribune, Press TV
