MNA – Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Wed. Iran Air has finalized a deal on purchase of aircraft from the World’s leading turboprop manufacturer ATR.Akhoundi maintained that negotiations for the purchase of aircraft from ATR have reached the final stage and at the moment, the two sides are at the stage of exchanging documents.

According to him, with the finalization of document exchange, the introduction of the first ATR aircraft into Iran’s air fleet will begin to be followed up through official channels.

The deal was first signed in February 2016 in Tehran following the commercial discussions held in Rome and Paris, on the occasion of the visit of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, and the Minister of Transportation of Abbas Akhoundi.

The deal contains purchase of 20 short-haul passenger planes with an estimated value of $400 million.

Akhoundi’s Wednesday remarks put the estimated date for the implementation of the agreement at the last weeks to the end of the Iranian year, in early March.

The deal with the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR comes at the heels of Iran Air’s finalized agreements with Boeing and Airbus.