TEHRAN – Airplane manufacturers from France, China, Japan, Brazil, Canada, and Russia have been negotiating with Iran so as to clinch contracts.

Iranian airliners are looking into available options, however, final decisions are yet to be made, the Tasnim news agency quoted Maqsoud As’adi Samani, the secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines.

Earlier in July, Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi had said Iranian airlines were negotiating with a number of large international plane makers to renovate their aviation fleets. 

He added that the country will need 400 new passenger planes in the next 10 years.  

He added that purchasing this number of planes will cost the country at least $20 billion. 

Iranian airliners have been long putting on a brave face under crippling sanctions, keeping their aging fleets operational mainly through falling back on black markets.

However, with the nuclear pact concluded between Iran and major powers making substantial progress on its path to the implementation phase, Iranian airliners now hope to fly safer, cutting-edge planes before long.

AK/