Tehran, Feb 2, IRNA � President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the timeline of the contract to by airplanes from France is envisaged for 16 to 20 years and that the last installment for the cost of the airplanes will be paid after 16 years.


He said that Iran used to pay the oil revenues to buy second-hand airplanes at higher prices under sanctions, but, today no single dollar from oil revenues will be paid for the airplanes.

'According to the contract with Airbus, we take delivery of the airplanes and use them for ordinary services and pay the lease for eight years and then get ownership of the airplanes.'
The president said that the Iran did not give the oil revenue to buy the planes and that the government bought them to generate income and help create jobs.

President Rouhani also said that Iranians paid five billion dollars to buy airplane tickets from foreign airlines last year and that the government decided to assume the status it deserves in the air industry and provide the Iranians with possibility to buy flight tickets from their own national carriers.
He recalled the period when Iran was on top in the air industry and said that the new purchases will help Iran retake its due standing.

If we refurbish the air fleet, the foreign tourists coming to Iran would prefer to take Iranian national carriers and the Hajj pilgrims will use their own air flights rather than buying tickets from foreign airlines.

JOIN VENTURE INVESTMENT
The president added that the government supports renovation of industries on joint venture investments and made clear that the industrial outputs being produced in Iran must be export �oriented so that the foreign partners have to export 30 percent of their outputs from Iran.

By IRNA