Iran has added 11 new aircraft to its civil fleet as part of its goal to increase domestic air transport capacity. Hossein Pourfarzaneh, Head of the Iran Civil Aviation Organization, announced at a ceremony held in Tehran that the new aircraft would add more than 2,500 seats to the country’s aviation network. The newly added fleet also includes a helicopter and five small passenger planes.
In a statement to Tasnim News Agency, Pourfarzaneh said, “These projects aim not only to improve service quality but also to strengthen air connectivity across the country, including to islands and remote provinces.” He also noted that around 13 new transportation projects worth approximately 125 million dollars had been launched to develop Iran’s aviation infrastructure.
Since 2021, Iran has added more than 5,100 passenger seats and continues its efforts to modernise its ageing fleet, which has been affected for years by international sanctions. With more than half of its estimated 330 commercial aircraft out of service, the authorities are attempting to meet demand through second-hand and leased aircraft. According to local sources, earlier this year Iran received several used Airbus A330s from China under oil swap agreements.
Meanwhile, last September, an Iranian MP announced that MiG-29 fighter jets had arrived from Russia and stated that new jet acquisitions — including Sukhoi Su-35s — were on the agenda in talks with Moscow. Iran’s efforts to modernise its air transport sector are being closely monitored on both regional and global scales.
