Iran is targeting purchases of 500 new commercial aircraft by 2025, some of which will enter the country before 2016, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi says. "Negotiations with the world's first class companies for purchase of aircraft have begun," he said Thursday during the inauguration of a new terminal at the Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA). "Upon the execution of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), we will take the first step in supplying aircraft so that by 2016, some of them will enter the country and the people will soon witness flying and travel with new and safe airplanes," he added. JCPOA refers to a landmark accord signed between Iran and the Europeans as well as the US, China and Russia in July which put their nuclear differences for over a decade to rest. Europeans and Iranian officials expect the accord to go into effect within the few months, with France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius saying sanctions against Tehran could be partially lifted as soon as December. On Sunday, Managing Director of the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Ali Abedzadeh said Iran was in talks with France, Canada and Brazil to buy 100-seat short-haul aircraft. He made the announcement after the Sputnik news agency said Iran had signed a contract to buy Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger jets from Russia. Akhoundi met Airbus and French government officials in Paris in June. The minister has said Iran was in serious talks with the top European aircraft manufacturer to help renovate its ageing fleet. "Airbus, as one of the European aviation companies, comprises about 50% of Iran's air fleet and in this regard, we are in direct negotiations with the company to renovate our fleet," he has said before. Most of the aircraft on Iran's commercial fleet date back to the days before 1979 because the country is unable to buy new planes under US-led sanctions in force since the Islamic Revolution. According to former CAO caretaker head Mohammad Khodakarami, Iran would buy planes from Boeing and Airbus in equal numbers. The country would initially need to add at least 80 planes to its fleet each year, he said last month.
