Iran’s national carrier continues to modernise its fleet with the delivery of its first four ATR regional aircraft.

The new ATR72-600s come from a contract for up to 40 ATR72-600s, which was placed following the easing of economic sanctions against Iran. Deliveries of the first 20 aircraft are due to be completed by the end of 2018.

“There are still historical moments in aviation, and this is one of them,” said Christian Scherer, CEO of ATR. “As Iran’s travelling public gains access to increased supply of air transportation, it will benefit from the highest standards of comfort, efficiency and reliability with the ATR’s we are delivering today and over the coming months. We salute Iran Air for their choice in our favour and the tremendous role they play in their country.”

Following the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, there is a major need to modernise and develop air transportation in the country. Iran relies on its domestic infrastructure and the turboprop ATRs are capable of operating to and from 60 airports in the country.

As such, the ATR72-600, which can carry up to 78 passengers on routes of up to 1,665km, is expected to form the core of Iran Air’s regional aircraft fleet in the coming years.

“Our new fleet of ATR72-600s showcases our will to provide newest generation aircraft to our customers, therefore ensuring comfort, reliability and competitiveness. Strengthening the links between all our communities will encourage new business opportunities for everyone,” said Farhad Parvaresh, CEO of Iran Air.

In addition to the ATRs, Iran Air has placed orders with Airbus for 100 aircraft, including 46 single-aisle planes and 54 wide-body jets.