Tehran, June 22, IRNA - Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi said Iranian aviation industry needs 551 new planes to renovate its aging fleet in the next decade.


Talking to reporters, Akhundi said at present the production date of only 12 of Iranian planes are registered after 2000.

He reiterated that the Iranian airlines have a total of 266 planes of which 100 are out of operation.

Akhundi put the average age of 166 aircraft that are flying in Iran at 23 years, adding that according to international standards they should leave the aviation fleet within a year.

Pointing to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently inked between Iran and the giant US aviation company Boeing, Akhundi expressed hope that the deal would renovate the old-age Iranian air fleet.

Iran and Boeing have signed a MoU on June 20 for purchase of modern airplanes from Boeing.

The MoU permits purchase of several Boeing family airplanes, including 737 (new generation) and models 900 and 300 from Boeing 777 series by Iran Air.

By IRNA