TEHRAN (ISNA)- Secretary of Iran�s Aviation Companies Association Maghsoud Asadi-Samani called Saudi refusal to allow landing of Iranian plane in Jeddah Air Port �illegal and illogical.�

�The criterion of plane safety is not its life span, because planes which are 40 years old are now flying,� he said.

�The flight programs are determined and given to the their destinations. The Islamic Republic of Iran�s Aviation has done the same thing. It has landed in Jeddah several times last year.�

�The flight program was given to Jeddah Airport before the flight, and the officials should have announced their refusal before the plane�s departure from Iran,� he said, adding there was political motives behind the act.

Samani continued that this type of plane which belong to Iran Air, the flag carrier airline of Iran, is not flying to Saudi now, adding that it is now pursuing the issue.

A Jeddah-bound Iranian plane carrying 260 Umrah pilgrims was barred from entering Saudi airspace on Wednesday. Saudi officials claimed that the plane 747 which belonged to Iran Air was an old plane

By ISNA