The landing, which is taking place hours before the deadline for the reimposition of the first round of US sanctions against Iran, comes after Iran Air took delivery of five ATR 72-600 turboprops on Saturday, the Iranian flag carrier airline’s public relations told Financial Tribune.
Following the new deliveries, Iran Air has received a total of 13 ATR aircraft, as part of its post-sanctions order from the Franco-Italian firm for 20+20 jets.
The flag carrier has also received three brand new jets from Airbus to date.
Using its new ATR fleet, Iran Air has managed to start operating flights on 25 new routes across the country.
Following US President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2016 nuclear deal, the US Treasury Department’s Office for Foreign Assets Control revoked licenses allowing planemakers to sell aircraft to Iranian entities.
It’s not clear whether Iran will receive any more aircraft before the beginning of the second round of US sanctions against the country on November 4.
Airbus, Boeing and ATR are reportedly under US government pressure to cancel their contracts with Iran. Iran, however, has announced that it prefers to suspend orders from three major planemakers rather than canceling them.
“The suspension of orders allows us to revive the contracts without holding negotiations, in case any change happens to current conditions,” said Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan, an advisor to the minister of roads and urban development and senior negotiator for Iran Air’s plane orders, last week.