Iran has added 11 new aircraft to its civilian fleet as part of an ongoing effort to expand domestic air transport capacity, IRGC media reported on Sunday, citing the head of the Civil Aviation Organization.
Hossein Pourfarzaneh, the organization’s chief, said during a ceremony in Tehran that the newly inducted aircraft-- along with one helicopter and five small passenger planes -- would add more than 2,500 seats to the country’s aviation network.
“These projects are aimed at improving service quality and expanding air connectivity across the country, including to the islands and remote provinces,” Pourfarzaneh was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
He said 13 transportation projects worth about $125 million had been launched to strengthen Iran’s air infrastructure.
According to Pourfarzaneh, Iran has added over 5,100 passenger seats since 2021.
Iran has struggled for decades to modernize its aging fleet due to international sanctions restricting aircraft sales and access to spare parts.
More than half of its estimated 330 commercial planes are grounded, forcing Tehran to rely on leased or secondhand aircraft.
Earlier this year, Iran took delivery of several used Airbus A330s from China under barter deals involving oil, according to domestic media reports.
Late in September, an Iranian lawmaker said Russian MiG-29 fighter jets have arrived in Iran and officials also discussed acquiring additional Russian-built jets, including Sukhoi Su-35s, as part of broader defense and transport cooperation with Moscow.
