Four years after the grounding due to sanctions on spare parts, Iran brings back an Airbus A320-231 to Serviceable condition.

Reported by IRNA, Iran's Aseman Airlines has been able to carry out necessary maintenance to bring back a grounded Airbus A320-231 aircraft to flying conditions after four years of grounding, which was due to lack of spare parts amid sanctions.

For sometime now, U.S. sanctions have prevented Iranian carriers, including the country's major airlines Iran Air and Mahan Airlines, from buying Airbus aircraft to strengthen their aging fleet.

The news outlet said in its release,

"Iran Aseman Airlines has returned a grounded Airbus A320-231 plane to its fleet four years after the aircraft was taken out of service because of US sanctions on Iran’s access to aviation spare parts."

According to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, with the efforts made by the managers and engineers of Aseman Airlines, the A320 EP-APG registered aircraft named "Iran" successfully completed its test flight today on the Tehran-Yazd-Tehran route.

"Iran’s transportation ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the plane registered as EP-APG under the name of “IRAN” had carried out a successful test flight from Tehran to Yazd in central Iran and vice versa."

Despite Western and European sanctions, Iran has been able to acquire planes for its domestic use, and as an answer to the increasing travel demand and Aging planes.

Such was one case in December 2022, when four Airbus A340 aircraft, those were traced back to Turkish Airlines, took off from Johannesburg International Airport in South Africa and landed in the Iranian capital. As per the original flight plan Uzbekistan was their destination, but they made it to Tehran.

The 30 year old Aseman Airlines A320 aircraft that is serviceable now, was delivered by Airbus to a Leasing company Orix in the year 1994, which was later used by British Mediterranean (G-MEDA) and Indian Airlines (VT-EYL) and Kam Air (YA-KMA) till year 2015. 

Aseman Airlines was able to acquire the aircraft (MSN:480) in May 2015 but grounded it in 2019 due to lack of spare parts owing to sanctions.

The Iranian Ministry added further that the flight became possible after conducting the required inspections on the plane and supplying the parts needed to fix its engine.

The ministry also said it will issue certificates in the coming days for the plane to start carrying passengers in domestic and international routes, adding that the plane will add 156 seats to Aseman Airlines’ fleet capacity.

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