TEHRAN, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Organization of Iran on Friday banned flights of all its ATR 72 aircraft following the recent air crash which claimed the lives of 66 people.
"To examine the safety and improvement of ATR 72 aircraft (in Iran's air fleet), it is necessary to stop their operation temporarily," the organization said in a statement on Friday.
The operation of Iran's Aseman Airlines ATR 72-200 and ATR 72-500 flights will stop until further notice, the statement said.
An ATR 72 aircraft belonging to Iran Aseman Airlines on Sunday morning crashed in a foggy and mountainous region of southwestern Iran, killing all 66 people on board.
Due to the extreme weather conditions, rescue services have not been able to clear the accident spots from the dead people and the plane wreckage on the 4,000-meter height of Dena Mountain.
