TEHRAN- Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi announced that by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2017) two Airbus A330 jets will be delivered to the Islamic Republic of Iran, IRIB news reported on Friday.

Making the remarks on the sidelines of an airport ceremony for the delivery of Iran Air A321 jet on Thursday, Akhoundi also added that Iran will receive nine Airbus 321 and 330 planes during the next Iranian year.

ATR deal to be finalized soon

The minister additionally informed that Iran Air, Iran’s flag carrier airline, is also expected to seal an order for 20 turboprops from European manufacturer ATR, a joint venture of Airbus and Finmeccanica of Italy, soon.

Akhoundi said that renovation of Iran Air fleet 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.

The first of 100 Airbus planes that Iran purchased following its nuclear deal with world powers arrived in Tehran on Thursday.

The Iran Air A321 jet touched down after a flight from Toulouse, France, where the headquarters of the European consortium are located. The 189-seat plane is the first of 100 purchased under a December deal worth $18 billion.

Iran is hoping to rapidly upgrade its fleet now that sanctions have been lifted under the 2015 nuclear accord, in which Tehran pledged to curb its nuclear program.

The election of Donald Trump, however, has cast doubt over the future of the deal. He repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement on the campaign trail but has not said what he plans to do about it once in office.

The Boeing deal is Iran's biggest with an American company since the 1979 revolution and U.S. embassy takeover. It calls for 50 Boeing 737s and 30 Boeing 777s to be delivered over the next decade.

HJ/MA/MG