Page 59 - IRANRptOct22

Tehran and Moscow agree up to 35 weekly Iran, Russia flights and other aviation cooperation
Iran bans foreign nationals from buying locally priced airline tickets
Separately, Press TV reported Baksh as unveiling plans for Iran to produce a 50-seat passenger plane.
“The idea and plan to build a passenger plane has been around for years. It is an order and strategy that the Islamic Republic is following,” Bakhsh was reported as telling a news conference on the eve of Iran’s Government Week. The plane is to be produced by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation, based in the central city of Shahin Shahr.
Weekly flights between Iran and Russia are to be expanded to up to 35, IRNA has reported Iranian officials as saying.
The move would be made in line with memoranda signed by the two countries, which also provide for a limitless number of cargo flights and aviation cooperation under which Iran will supply aircraft parts and equipment to Russia and service Russian aircraft, the news agency said, citing officials at the Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran.
Since Moscow was hit by waves of sanctions unleashed by the West in response to its invasion of Ukraine, there has been a rapid expansion of efforts to widen trade and investment links and cooperation between Russia and Iran. While Russia is now the most sanctioned nation in the world, Iran is the second most sanctioned and has many years of experience of how to run an economy, including industries such as aviation, burdened by sanctions.
Only around 20 countries still provide direct flight access to Russia.
Due to sanctions, Russia also faces a struggle to source enough components to maintain its fleet of civilian aircraft. In this regard, Iran has relied on black market operations and other under-the-radar sourcing activities for many years.
Under provisions of one of the signed memoranda, it also looks likely that Iranian engineers will work on repairs and technical support for aircraft operated by Russian carriers.
The Association of Iranian Airlines has issued a new rule banning the sale of tickets to foreigners at local rates, Financial Tribune reported on July 3.
Local airlines have been offering regional and domestic flights at significant markdowns due to the weakened Iranian rial, with a one-way ticket to Turkey from Tehran now only costing around €110 one way with local airlines.
“Flight tickets will only be sold to foreign nationals through the website of airlines or at airlines’ offices,” Maqsoud Asadi-Samani, secretary of AIA said to IRNA.
Airlines now will have full control over the sale of tickets locally.
The move to ban sales at reduced prices comes as a decision was made by airline authorities to charge a dollar day rate to foreign travellers in the country. However, many have been taking advantage of reduced costs to pass on the savings.
Tickets of domestic flights lasting under an hour will be sold at a ceiling of $100 and those taking more than an hour at $150, it explained.
The price of tickets of domestic flights will remain unchanged for Iranian nationals who have a national ID code.
The foreign ministry objected to decision saying that it would severely hamper the growth in inbound tourism following the two-year shutdown during the pandemic.
The letter noted that on average 2mn Iraqis visit Iran every year and said that jacking up prices would be a deterrent to regional inbound tourism.
59 IRAN Country Report October 2022 www.intellinews.com