Tupolev flights banned in Iran

President of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization Reza Nakhjavani says Iran will ban flights by its Tupolev aircraft following a string of disasters involving the Russian-built jets.

Nakhjavani announced on Saturday that all Iranian airline companies received orders to end their flights with Tu-154 jets as of the 20th of February this year, the Fars news agency reported.

The ban applies to 17 Tu-154 planes, which are owned by Iran Air Tour, Kish Air, Taban and Caspian airlines.

“Considering the recent accidents, the deadline of February 19 is set for all Iranian airline companies which possess Tupolev-154 in their passenger fleet to end the operation of the planes as well as any Russian-made plane with other airliners,” the official said.

Earlier in November, Nakhjavani said, “Under no circumstances will we allow the operation of passenger planes lacking essential safety standards to endanger people’s lives.”

He also noted that Tupolev passenger jets are not adequately equipped for a safe flight. These planes have been in use as air carriers in the country for over 20 years and passengers have always complained about them.

Iran has suffered a string of aviation disasters over the past decade, most involving private airlines using Russian-made planes.

The last major air accident in Iran involving a Tupolev was in July 2009 when a Caspian Airlines aircraft bound for Armenia caught fire in mid-air and crashed into a farmland near the city of Qazvin, killing all 168 people on board.

The most recent air accident in Iran on January 9, however, involved a US-made Boeing 727 plane operated by Iran Air, claiming the lives of 77 passengers in a flight from Tehran to the northwestern city of Orumiyeh. Inclement weather was partly blamed for the crash near Orumiyeh’s airport.

Iranian Road and Transportation Minister Hamid Behbahani said in August that Iran plans to add eight Boeing MD and six Airbus passenger planes to its aviation fleet.

Behbahani said five Boeing MD planes have already joined the country’s air fleet.

Iran has added 108 passenger aircraft to its commercial air fleet since 2005.