Iran to Buy Airliners with French, Italian Credit Lines

Iran Air CEO Farzaneh Sharafbafi says part of the credit lines provided by Italian and French companies will be allotted to the purchase of brand-new planes.

“We are also in talks with the Airbus Company to use its finance to buy some of these airplanes, and we will use the French and Italians’ credit lines to purchase several other Airbus and ATR aircraft,” she added, according to a Farsi report by IRNA.

She said Iran intends to use different sources of financing to buy new airplanes.

“The initial payment for the purchase of 11 brand-new Airbus and ATR planes came from the National Development Fund,” she said.

She underlined the need for more aircraft joining the Iranian air fleet.

“We are planning to bring at least 14 airplanes into the Iran Air fleet next year (beginning March 2018),” the top manager said.

She also noted that Iran’s national airline made every effort to keep flights running during the heavy snowfall last week.

“But heavy snow forced the cancellation of 40 to 50 domestic and international flights of Iran Air. Moreover, the more than 70 centimetres of snow dumped on the Imam [Khomeini International] Airport snarled traffic around the airport,” she noted.

Sharafbafi said despite the cancellations, the airline made the necessary planning and began running extra flights to prevent further losses to the passengers.

“All passengers will also be indemnified for any possible losses in accordance with the Bylaws on Passengers’ Rights,” she said.