File photo shows an Iran Air Airbus A300-605R passenger plane.[/caption]TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Road Minister for Aviation Affairs Ali Mohammad Nourian announced on Sunday that Russia has offered to sell its new passenger plane, Tupolev Tu-204, to Iran.
The Tupolev Tu-204 is a twin-engine medium-range jet airliner capable of carrying 210 passengers, designed by Tupolev and produced by Aviastar SP and Kazan Aircraft Production Association. Its maximum speed is 900 kilometers per hour.
This plane has a capacity of 210 seats and its price stands at $35 million, Nourian told FNA today.
The Iranian deputy road minister noted that the Tupolev Tu-204 is relatively cheaper than its western rivals produced by Boeing and Airbus.
On Saturday, Nourian said that the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran is studying Russias proposal.
The Russians have asked us to study purchase of their (new) passenger plane in a bid to allow imports of the airplane if the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran approves the offer, the Iranian deputy road minister said.
Nourian, who also heads the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, further explained that his organization is helping Iranian airlines with the renovation of their passenger plane fleets.
He pointed to the removal of the Wests sanctions against the Iranian aviation industry, and said, I hope that after the recent Geneva agreement and removal of the sanctions against the supply of airplane spare parts to Iran, 80 percent of grounded planes will return to operation in the national fleet.
On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the Wests decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehrans confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides.
The Western embargo on the supply of passenger plane parts to Iranian companies was one of the main causes of air crashes and technical problems in Iran, costing the lives of tens of civilians.
By Fars News Agency
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