IRNA � Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said on Thursday that an Airbus A330, the third of the 200 planes Iran has purchased from the French aircraft manufacturer, will land in Iran early next week.

The aircraft can carry 238 passengers with 32 business class and 206 economy seats. It will be used for flying long distances.

Following the lifting of Western-imposed sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran signed a contract with Airbus to buy 200 new passenger planes in a bid to renew the country�s air fleet.

The first Airbus A321 landed in Tehran's international airport on January 12.

Based on deals between Iran�s national flag-carrier Iran Air and world big plane manufacturers, Iran is to purchase 200 new planes.

All the aircraft have been purchased under a hire-purchase contract, and Iran Air has supplied 85% of financial resources through foreign finance and 15% through domestic resources as well as the National Development Fund facilities by the Bank of Industry and Mine.