Page 79 - IRANRptOct22

Iran is offering major airlines overflight discounts to boost transit income
Iran is offering overflight fee discounts to major airlines amid efforts by the government to boost transit income by increasing the number of flights through the country's airspace, Transportation Minister Mohammad Eslami has been cited as saying by Press TV.
A plan by Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company (IAC) to cut its overflight fees was approved by ministers, Eslami was reported as saying.
Xinhua news agency at the same time released a report quoting Eslami as stating that the government has been working with the Iranian armed forces to set up direct flight corridors to further assure foreign airlines of the safety of flying through Iranian airspace. A Ukrainian airliner was shot down by the Iranian military just outside Tehran in January 2020 in an apparent accident, with the loss of all on board.
The recent repairing of relations between Qatar and other Gulf Arab states, which were blockading the kingdom, will also likely reduce the number of transit flights taking routes over Iran. Tehran stepped in to provide Qatar with alternative airspace when the Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, introduced their embargo on Qatar, which included a refusal to accommodate Qatari airlines including flagship Qatar Airways.
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iPhones now entirely banned in Iran say local reports
Iran starts roll out of 5G mobile connectivity
Apple’s iPhones have been entirely banned in Iran, according to local media reports.
Following the reimposition of heavy sanctions on Tehran by the US under former American president Donald Trump, Apple banned the sale of its products in Iran and said none of its official agents would be involved with the country. However, the iPhone remained one of the most popular phones among Iranians, with importers bringing the smartphone in from neighbouring countries using unofficial channels.
The ban reportedly involves blocking these importers from registering new orders for Apple phones on an online system run by the Iranian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade (MIMT). When trying to register their orders, a message appears on the system reading: “The Apple mobile phone brand has been included in the Goods Category No. 27 since 22 May and registering orders will not be possible.”
Middle East Eye said Iranian importers were unsure why the ban has come in now.The country has been under a hardline government since the elections of last summer.
Alireza, an Iranian businessman who imports mobile phones, told the publication: "It is not clear what is happening behind the scenes and why they imposed this ban or restriction, but whatever the case, its effect can be seen in the market immediately."
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, former information and communications technology minister, reminded people on his Telegram channel that previous efforts to ban iPhones had mixed success.
Iran’s two largest mobile network operators, MTN-Irancell and Mobile Communications of Iran (MCI), have started a rollout of a fifth generation (5G) mobile network in Tehran, ITMEN magazine has reported. MTN-Irancell’s first 5G mast is seen at the Communication and Information Technology Research Institute located on Kargar street in central Tehran. It was placed there in cooperation with the telecommunications ministry. Other areas of the capital will see 5G antennae installed gradually over the next few months by both operators.
79 IRAN Country Report October 2022 www.intellinews.com