With sanctions on Iran lifted this week, the Iranian Government has announced its intentions for a large aircraft order to replace the ageing fleets of its national airline.
The order will comprise 114 aircraft from Airbus, which will comprise a mix of new and second-hand aircraft, to be flown by the national carrier Iran Air.
To date, the country has been restricted by sanctions on both aircraft purchases, and spare parts, which has meant Iran Air and all of the other carriers in the country have had to keep older aircraft flying, or source them through third parties.
This particular order will include both A320 family and A340 aircraft. The A340 is no longer produced, but there are many second-hand examples available for immediate purchase. Iranian airline Mahan Air has itself recently obtained a number of A340-600s.
As Iran Air plans its future strategy, including new long-haul destinations, it has apparently shown interest in purchasing both Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft. It is also considering purchases from Boeing and Embraer.
It is anticipated that some 580 aircraft would be needed over the coming years to replace the ageing airliners operated by the various airlines in Iran. This particular story, which has not been commented on by Airbus yet, is likely to be the first of many to come.
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