U.S. to allow Iran to repair its airplanes: report

The United States would allow Iran to repair its old Airbus model airliners in a third country, Iran's state radio reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Iran's local Fars news agency reported that the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced in a statement released on Tuesday that the U.S. treasury has issued the required permissions for the supply of the spare parts needed by Iran's passenger planes.

Describing the U.S. decision for repairing Iran's planes as a positive move, Director of Iran's Aviation Organization Nourollah Rezayee Niaraki said on Wednesday that "given the fact that a number of the Airbus 310s of Iran's navigation fleet are in need of engine repairs, we will take the required measures to start cooperation with the U.S. aviation organization to fix them."

He added that Iran's Aviation Organization will soon be contacted by the U.S. side in this regard.

Most of Iran's airliners are 16 years old on average, causing frequent killing accidents.

The country accused the U.S. of preventing selling new planes and spare parts to Iran that led to many tragedies.

Iran's main carrier, Iran Air, has seven Boeings bought before the 1979 Islamic revolution, 28 European Airbus, Fokker aircraft and plus seven Tupolevs.

Iran's 13 carriers have tried to upgrade their airliner fleets with European aircraft, but the U.S. has imposed high pressure on Europe not to sell planes to the Islamic Republic.

Source: Xinhua