An Airbus A320 has returned to the Iranian aviation fleet after 11 years of grounding thanks to a domestic overhaul program that took one year and offered some some 2,300 repair tasks.

A Saturday report by the IRIB News said that the aircraft had carried out a successful test flight earlier in the day between Tehran and Yazd in central Iran to become ready for official return to the Iranian civil aviation fleet.

The plane belongs to Qeshm Air, a private Iranian airline which flies to various destinations inside the country and in the region.

Qeshm Air CEO Ramin Hamzeh said the repaired aircraft will increase the airline’s active seat capacity by 600 per day.

He said the aircraft is also planned to carry out flights to foreign destinations, adding that four other repaired planes will be added to the airline’s fleet by March.

Iran expanded its civilian aircraft repair and maintenance program in 2018 when the country’s access to parts and services from abroad was barred because of US sanctions.

That comes as Iranian aviation companies currently offer overhaul and inspection services to foreign airlines.

Reports in September showed that nine Russian passenger planes were in Iran to receive maintenance.

 

 

By PRESS TV