Iran and European planemaker ATR to sign contract next week - minister

Iran and European planemaker ATR are due to sign a deal next week for the purchase of 20 short-haul passenger aircraft, an Iranian official said on Saturday, weeks after Tehran finalised deals with Boeing and Airbus.

ATR, co-owned by Airbus and Italy's Leonardo Finmeccanica, in February reported preliminary orders from Iran for 20 twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft.

"Representatives of ATR will come to Tehran this Wednesday to have a final round of talks," Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.

"The final version of the contract will be reviewed, and if there is no problem, it will be signed by both sides."

Fakhrieh-Kashan added that the contract for 20 planes was worth $400 million.

Iran signed contracts with Europe's Airbus and American planemaker Boeing in December to purchase around 180 jets, its biggest commercial deals with the West since its 1979 revolution.