Iran is in the process of selecting financiers for the purchase of 200 passenger aircraft from among domestic and foreign companies which have submitted their proposals to Iran Air, CEO of the national carrier said.

“Many proposals have been submitted to Iran Air and a preliminary decision will be made in the next month,” Farzaneh Sharafbafi was quoted as saying in an Irna report.

Sharafbafi became the first Iranian woman in July to take the helm at Iran Air which has signed deals with Airbus and Boeing as well as Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR for the purchase of new brand passenger planes.

ATR, a joint venture of Airbus and Italian company Leonardo which signed a firm contract with Iran Air for 20 turboprop aircraft and options for a further 20 planes early this year, is even willing to finance the purchases, she said.

Iran Air received four ATR 72-600s planes earlier this year, with the deliveries of the other aircraft to be completed by the end of 2018, Tehran-based English-language newspaper Iran Daily wrote.

“There is no problem financing these planes, and Iran Air has bought all the 20 ATR aircraft in the form of hire purchase, and now proposals for financing these purchases are under review at Iran Air,” Sharafbafi said.