Page 78 - IRANRptOct22

The relocation and expansion project reportedly means that from 2024, Iran Tire will boast a “brand new” 25 kilotonne per annum (ktpa) production capacity for passenger car and light truck tyres.
Total tyre production is to be brought to 40ktpa, according to the statement. The existing factory has the capacity to manufacture 28 ktpa of tyres/year. The new plant will largely rely on Chinese equipment.
The final phase of the project will deliver a 20 ktpa production line for truck and bus radial tyres, according to the report.
Iran Tire was founded in Terhan in 1965 by General Tire and Rubber Co.
In April, Iran’s oldest tyre factory, debt-ridden Kian Tire, announced it was to attempt to continue production under special measures. In 2019, Kian Tire declared bankruptcy but further loans from local banks and the state’s role in keeping operations running ensured its survival.
9.2.3 Aviation corporate news
Pars Air launches Isfahan-Tbilisi flights
Longstanding plans to privatise Iran Air scrapped
Isfahan Airport has launched flights between the central Iranian city and Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, Iran Aviation reported on August 17.
The small regional airline, Pars Air, has begun the new route as part of efforts to rebuild international connections from the provincial Iranian city and former capital. Georgia is a popular destination for Iranians due to the proximity of the country and cost of travel being generally low.
“Pars Air is operating the new flights. These chartered flights are scheduled for Fridays and Mondays,” Abouzar Ziyayi, director general of Isfahan airports was quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
Pars Air, established in 2015, is one of a number of private Iranian airlines that were created to shake up the country’s airline industry by offering new licenses.
The small airline is the only Iranian provider that flies the Canadian-built Bombardier CRJ-200 in its fleet.
The airline is said to have the youngest fleet of all Iranian airlines and has grown its flights internally to small cities in the Persian Gulf.
Longstanding plans to privatise flag carrier IranAir have reportedly been scrapped over concerns that the airline might be dogged by future financial problems under a non-state owner.
Iran’s Transportation Minister Mohammad Eslami was cited by Press TV as saying that the government decided to remove IranAir from its privatisation list following discussions between ministers that determined there was a risk of insolvency for the carrier after a few years of operations under private ownership.
“This company was available for privatisation for several years. However, the situation was not ripe for such a divestment because what would take place in practice could cause harm,” the minister said.
IranAir, founded just after WWII and known in Iran as Homa, is the largest airline in Iran. It operates both domestic and international routes.
The airline has faced financial difficulties in recent years caused by US sanctions that place new planes and parts out of its reach.
Eslami added that the transportation ministry was working on plans to carry out an overhaul of IranAir’s organisational structure to turn it into a major player in the global aviation industry.
78 IRAN Country Report October 2022 www.intellinews.com