Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.21
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR has commented on a recent deadly air crash in Iran, expressing regrets over the loss of Aseman Airlines' flight EP3704 on Feb.18.
“ATR regrets to acknowledge the loss of an ATR 72 operated by Iran Aseman Airlines in an accident,” a spokesperson within ATR told Trend.
“At this time, the circumstances of the accident are unknown,” added the source.
Aseman Airlines' flight EP3704 with 66 people on board went missing on February 18 in Iran's Central Province. The rescue workers located the wreckage from the ATR on Feb. 21 after three days of searching in a vast mountainous area in central Iran.
According to Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, seven French experts have already arrived in Tehran to participate in the investigation into the plane crash.
The delegation includes three members of French government’s committee on Investigating Incidents and four members from the factory producing the plane.
Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/ nuclear deal) in January 2016, Iran concluded deals to acquire 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 from ATR, in a move to renew its aged aviation fleet.
In the addition to eight ATR aircraft, the country has already received three Airbus, increasing the number of Iran’s post-sanctions aircraft to 11.
However, the US approach to the nuclear deal has cast shadow over the fate of Iran’s deals to acquire Western aircraft.
Many inside Iran blame the high number of air crashes in the country over the past decades at the Western imposed sanctions.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
