Iran Conducts 500 Domestic, Overseas Flights Per Day

Pakdasht, Tehran Prov., June 14, IRNA – Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Ali Nikzad, said on Wenesday that Iran conducts 500 domestic and overseas flights every day. Nikzad, briefing a group of the ministry's personnel said that the number of flights will reach 205,000 this year from 195,000 last year. Several private and public airlines companies are operating in Iran, the oldest is Iran Air. Iran has an ageing air fleet due to the US embargo since 1979, the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Curently ageing Boeing airliners are being used in air flights in addition to the leased Airbus and Russian manufactured aircraft such as Tupolev. The US embargo prevented Iran from refurbishing the air fleet. Some 108 airliners have been added to the fleet of Iranian passenger planes during the last five years. With a population of 70 million, Iran needs to have 6,300 passenger planes./end