TEHRAN -- Managing Director of Aviation Industries Organization (AIO) affiliated to the Defense Ministry, Colonel Hossein Alaei said here Saturday the AIO is critical of the decision of purchasing used planes from Turkey.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremonies of several aviation projects, he added that unfortunately concurrent with production of Iran-140 planes, several companies have embarked on importing similar planes to the country.

Alaei said that without provisions for having repair facilities in the country, large sums of foreign exchange have to be disbursed for major repairs abroad.

He said the purchases have taken place irrespective of technical and expert analysis on maintenance and repairs of the planes.

He said the acquisition of Fokker-50 aircraft has taken place at the time when its factory has been shut down.

Alaei also lamented the government 's permission to some companies in importing planes ''without paying fees,'' while, itself, is investing in plane production factories inside the country.'' On another issue, he added that Iran-140 aircraft, along with pilot and crew is ready to be delivered to the aviation fleet.

Meanwhile, Iran has finished preliminary talks to purchase some 10 planes from Germany and France, and will ink agreements to that effect very soon.

Head of Transportation and Development Commission of the Majlis Habibollah Esmaeilzadeh said here last week that the airliners are for both short and long distance flights.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the deputy from Flavarjan said the Majlis Development Commission members had visited the plant manufacturing 'Iran-140' passenger planes, under a joint venture project with Ukraine.

Esmaeilzadeh said the plant has so far produced and tested three planes, stressing that they are expecting to receive flight certificates.

He stressed that the plant has so far received orders from some foreign customers.