Iran to sign deal with ATR to purchase passenger planes

Iran will soon sign a contract with the European plane-maker ATR to purchase passenger planes, Press TV reported quoting an Iranian official as saying on Sunday.

"Representatives of ATR will come to Tehran on Wednesday to have a final round of talks," said Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan.

Both sides will review the final draft of the contract, and if there is no problem, it will be signed, Fakhrieh-Kashan said.

Reports said that the contract encompasses 20 planes valued at 400 million U.S. dollars.

According to press TV, Iran's national flag carrier, Iran Air, signed a preliminary contract with ATR in February to buy the twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft, each capable of carrying 70 passengers.

Iran earlier signed contracts with Airbus and Boeing plane-makers to purchase around 180 passenger planes.

source: Xinhua