Iran’s airlines face huge losses – official
Managing Director of Iran Airtour Airline Sirous Baheri said that over 60 percent of Iran's total 220 airplanes are grounded due to technical and logistic issues.
Iranian airlines' air fleet is averagely 22 years old, ISNA News Agency reported.
"Iranians airlines are facing huge losses due to the low price of domestic flights' tickets," Baheri said. "Thus, the Iranian airlines have difficulties to compete with the foreign airlines.'
Baheri said that the lack of connection with the manufacturers is one of the main problems of the domestic airlines, which has made it difficult for them to repair their airplanes.
Earlier, Head of the Association of Iranian airlines Abdolreza Mousavi said that Iranian airlines are unable to pay off their fuel debts to the Oil Ministry due to their bad financial situation.
"Many airplanes of the national fleet have been grounded due to financial problems," he said, adding that spare parts and components are purchased from second-hand sources with great difficulties.