Tehran, Sept 3, IRNA - Iran has to head for purchase of Eastern-made airplanes in order to overcome the problems caused by US for Iran's air aviation, Managing Director of Iranian airlines, Iran Air, Saeed Hesaami said on Monday.

"Iran has to move towards buying new airplanes from Russia to meet its domestic demands," Hesaami told IRNA adding that the Eastern-made airplanes are as modern and advanced as their Western counterparts.

In late August, Hesaami had said that Iran Air has finalized an agreement on purchase of five Tupolev 204s passenger planes from Russia.

The Tupolev 204s passenger planes are competitive with Airbus and Boeing, Hesaami had said.

Noting that the aircraft would join the Iranian air fleet in the next 18 months, Hesaami had said, "We have ordered the Russian manufacturer to provide the airplanes with technical facilities to ensure passenger safety." "Iran's aviation would never wait to be grounded by Washington's unreasonable sanctions," Hesaami stressed.

Reassuring Iranians about the safety of the ordered Tupolev 204s passenger planes, he stressed that the aircraft were currently used in all European countries.

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