Iran says deal completed for 20 ATR turboprops with IranAir

Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development has reported that Iran Air closed on a contract calling for 20 new ATR 72-600s and said that the state airline will take the first 4 airplanes over the next 15 days. Plans call for delivery of 9 more by the end of the year and the remaining 7 next year, it added. However, ATR said that negotiations toward a firm order continue. “Similar to contracts with Boeing and Airbus, this contract is financed and besides the aircraft, post-purchase services including engine maintenance are directly provided by ATR based on terms explicitly stated in the contract,” the ministry said. Separately, Iranian deputy minister of international affairs Fakhrieh-Kashan confirmed that the first Boeing 777-300ER ordered by IranAir will arrive in Tehran next month. <br/>