IranAir (IR, Tehran Mehrabad) has retired its last remaining B747-200B from active commercial service Iranian news sources have reported. Originally delivered to Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) in 1982 as D-ABYX, B747-200(M) EP-IAI (msn 22670) conducted its last commercial flight on Saturday, May 8 following which it was parked at Tehran Imam Khomeini.
With no more cycles left on its airframe, and with a fleet of new Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) aircraft due in the coming months, Iran Air has opted to retire the aircraft instead.
The Iranian carrier continues to operate one B747-200(F) and one B747SP on commercial flights.
Iran signed multi-billion dollar deals with Airbus and ATR - Avions de Transport Régional (EVX, Toulouse Blagnac) earlier this year involving the purchase of almost 140 aircraft in total.
According to Aviation Iran, deliveries will begin this year with five A320s and A330s along with three ATR72-600s. In 2017, fourteen aircraft (unspecified) are expected to arrive.
In total, the Iranians firm ordered: twenty ATR72-600s (with twenty additional options), twenty-one A320ceo family jets; twenty-four A320neo family jets; twenty-seven A330ceo family jets; eighteen A330neo (-900) jets; sixteen A350-1000s; and twelve A380-800s.
