Iran's transport minister said on Saturday that Russian pilots flying for Iranian airlines will be replaced by local cockpit crew within two months, the Fars news agency reported.
"The ministry of transport has given a two-month period, after which all Russian pilots must leave the country," the agency quoted Hamid Behbahani as saying.
The ministry of transport has given a two-month period, after which all Russian pilots must leave the country
When Iran has "a number of professional pilots, there is no need for importing them to operate our flights," the minister was quoted as saying.
It was not immediately clear how many Russian pilots were flying for Iranian airlines, or whether Iran had enough fully trained aviators to replace them.
Iran had one of the best air safety records before the 1979 Islamic revolution, but it has suffered a number of major air accidents over the past decade, most involving small companies using planes and crew from Russia or Central Asia.
A Western embargo banning the sales of new planes and parts, together with growing demand for air travel from a burgeoning population, forced Iran to look to Russia and the ex-Soviet republics for planes and air crew.
An Iranian pilot who flies a Russian Tupolev aircraft said he did not think the order for Russian pilots to leave would cause major problems, because it took only up to three months to become a fully qualified co-pilot.
"I do not think the Russian planes will be grounded after the departure of Russian pilots as there is an abundance of (Iranian) pilots given the mushrooming of private flying schools in Iran," he said on condition of anonymity.
Iran's civil and military fleet is made up of ancient aircraft in very poor condition due to their age and lack of maintenance.
In January, a Russian-built Tupolev 154 plane owned by Taban Airline and piloted by a Russian caught fire but crash landed safely in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
Comments »