Iran has launched a new private airline, Yazd Air. The carrier will be based in Yazd, Central Iran. The airline currently has a fleet of five aircraft and an investment of $20 million by private investors.
The airline is planning to use its two A310s for international destinations like Najaf in Iraq, Dubai, Istanbul, and Mumbai. For domestic routes the airline will deploy its two Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets and one short haul BAe 146.
In the initial couple of months, Yazd Air will rely on Mahan Air’s administrative services, post which the airline plans to hire a staff of 70 employees and set up its own office.
The new airline launch comes despite Iran's aviation industry experiencing a longtime series of unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US. Following the Iranian Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis in the 1970s, the country has been under international sanctions.
The penalties were also extended during the war between Iran and Iraq, preventing Iranian airlines from purchasing new aircraft, which increased the difficulty of acquiring aircraft parts for older airplanes.
Due to the restrictions, Iran has some of the oldest aircraft flying. Many carriers operate the Airbus A300, which was last developed 15 years ago.