TEHRAN - Turboprop maker ATR has pledged to deliver 9 airplanes to Iran by the end of 2017, and is to deliver four of the accorded aircrafts by Friday.

“Iranian officials are now in France’s Toulouse to do the required preparations for receiving the four aircrafts,” IRNA quoted Iranian Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan as saying on Saturday.

Iran’s national flag-carrier Iran Air has signed a contract to buy 20 ATR 72-600 from the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer. Nine of the accorded planes will be delivered to Iran by the end of 2017 and the rest will arrive in 2018.

Representatives of ATR traveled to Iran in early February to negotiate terms of a deal for the sale of at least 20 aircrafts.

Iran Air finalized a deal on the purchase of the aircrafts with ATR in mid-February. 

On February 4, Fakhrieh Kashan said the value of the deal is about $400 million.

Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi announced in mid-January that renovation of the fleet of Iran Air has begun, adding that according to the contracts with world major plane makers, Iran Air is to receive 200 new planes, of which 100 will be purchased from Airbus and 80 from Boeing.

HJ/MA