FNA- Iranian Deputy Road and Urban Development Minister Asqar Fakhriyeh Kashan announced that financing the purchase of passenger planes will be put to tender within the next month.

"We are preparing the documents and the tender will be run within the next month," Fakhriyeh Kashan told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday.

Explaining that Iran has decided to run tender to find financers for buying Boeing and Airbus passenger planes given the large number of foreign companies ready to finance the project, he said, "10 companies from across the world will participate in the tender, including the Japanese, Norwegian, Chinese, Irish and British firms."

In relevant remarks in late March, Managing Director of Iran's National Flag Carrier, Iran Air, Farhad Parvaresh underlined that the giant aviation company Airbus has delivered the third passenger plane to the country.

"The third Airbus, an A330, landed at Tehran's Mehrabad airport on Saturday," Parvaresh said.

He noted that the A330 plane which has 32 business class and 206 economy class seats is suitable for long-distance flights.

Last January, Iran signed a deal worth $18 billion with Airbus to purchase 100 new planes, including 46 A320 family, 38 A330 family, and 16 A350 XWB aircraft.

On January 12, the first Airbus 'A321' landed at Tehran Mehrabad Airport and joined Iranian air fleet.

The aircraft was officially delivered to Iran Air by Airbus in a ceremony held in Toulouse.

The second Airbus plane, also an A330, arrived in Tehran on March 11. It flew to the capital�s Mehrabad International Airport from the French city of Toulouse.

Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Bregier announced that with the delivery of the aircraft, cooperation between Iran Air and Airbus officially started, and said, "We hope with delivery of the aircraft, expansion of economic cooperation with Iran will continue more rapidly."

Iran Air officials say the plane will be used for domestic flights.