Iran buys 15 second-hand civilian aircraft to bolster ageing fleetMay 11, 2015 - 13:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has bought 15 second-hand civilian aircraft in the last three months, the transport minister said in published remarks, bolstering an aging fleet hit by U.S. sanctions that restrict trade of aircraft and parts. ISNA news agency on Sunday, May 10, quoted Abbas Akhoondi as saying nine of the planes had been obtained in the past week, without specifying who had sold them or how they had been bought, according to Reuters. "With the arrival of these new aircraft, the average age of the active planes in Iran has fallen from 20 years to 19 years," Akhoondi was quoted as saying. The report did not identify the type of aircraft purchased. A long-standing ban on the sales of spare parts was eased under an interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in late 2013, but the U.S. sanctions regime still restricts sales of aircraft. Iranian airlines have suffered several fatal crashes in recent years due to mechanical failures. Thirty-nine people were killed in August last year when a locally-built plane of Ukrainian design crashed after taking off from Tehran. Akhoondi said the ongoing nuclear negotiations, and the potential lifting of sanctions if a deal is reached next month, might allow Iran to negotiate directly with manufacturers to purchase high-quality aircraft. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |