Posted on 08/19/2009 1:48:23 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Iran Bans Domestic Airlines From Flying Russian Aircraft
19 August 2009
Reuters
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has banned its airlines from leasing more Russian-made aircraft or buying such planes secondhand after two fatal incidents last month, a senior transport official said in remarks published Tuesday.
On July 15, a Russian-built Tupolev operated by Iran’s Caspian Airlines flying to Armenia crashed in northwestern Iran, killing all 168 people aboard.
Nine days later, 17 people were killed when an Ilyushin Il-62, also made in Russia and leased by Iran’s Aria Tour from Kazakhstan, veered off the runway and hit a wall in northeastern Iran.
“Based on the new directive which went into effect on Sunday, no [entity] would be permitted to enter leased or used Russian planes into the country’s air fleet,” said Mohammad Ali Ilkhani, who heads Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
“The reputation of Russian aircrafts as flying coffins is reaffirmed again.”
yes, though i’m not convinced that the Caspian Airlines crash was an accident
Good thing they’ve never had a problem with any of their nuclear reactors.
Instead, they might look into banning Iranian pilots from flying ANY aircraft.
I suspect those accidents are as much or more about the maintenance and spare parts availability re: those aircraft as anything else.
Since Iran is embargoed from buying Boeing, Airbust (LOL) appears to be their only option.
- JP
LOL yeah, that one is easily missed. Tehran could become the new Chernobyl. Couldnt happen to a nicer bunch.
There was a giant Airbus that crashed into a wall a few years ago when a crew from Abu Dhabi tried to fly it. Imagine a Russian-built Scarebus commanded by an Emirati crew. Passengers would be dead men flying.
If I had to get on one of them, I'd go the max on flight insurance for sure.
They cannot procure Airbus products for more or less the same reasons as Boeings ones-use of American components. There are some conditional sales allowed from both manufacturers of spare parts and used aircraft by third parties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/549745.stm
http://www.komonews.com/news/business/37650714.html
Most international fliers would prefer flying with a Persian Gulf airline than most American carriers.
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