Iran’s Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) is planning to equip its airlines with 90 to 120-seat aircraft with the help of a number of foreign companies. The head of the IAIO, Manouchehr Manteqi, confirmed that detailed research had lead to the 90-120 seat bracket being decided upon. “Given that many countries are concentrating on producing planes with this capacity and that we are making 59-seat aircraft inside the country, it has been decided to shift focus to 90 to 120-seat airplanes in the next step,” Manteqi confirmed.
He also stated that he is in negotiations with a number of countries and the full plan will be announced once it is finalized. Iran currently has just nine aircraft per million of population and with sanctions in effect the country has not alternative but to become self sufficient in building aircraft. Iran says that it will require 6,300 aircraft to service its population which numbers some 70 million. The question is who is going to fund the purchase of them?