Iran to receive first Airbus jet in weeks under sanctions pact

Iran expects to obtain its first new jet in weeks under a multi-billion-dollar deal with Airbus for 100 aircrafts, a senior official stated on Monday, as Tehran and Western companies race to reopen trade nearly a year after sanctions were removed.

The initial Airbus jets should be delivered in mid-January, part of plans to purchase or lease 200 planes to restore IranAir’s decaying fleet, against a background of conservative criticism in both Washington and Tehran of 2015’s worldwide sanctions deal to permit such service.

Sanctions were removed in January however were followed by months of regulative hold-ups, and Iran has only just finalized a deal to purchase 80 jets from Airbus’ U.S. competitor Boeing.

” We have actually settled negotiations with Airbus and any day we will have the ability to sign the deal in Tehran,” Deputy Roads and Urban Development Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan informed Reuters during a telephone interview. “We are anticipating some final clearances and expect to sign today or tomorrow.”

The very first Airbus A321 could get here prior the January 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has opposed the offer to lift most sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, and well ahead of Iranian presidential elections in May 2017.

That could provide an increase to the government of President Hassan Rouhani and permit Airbus to find a house for some jets deserted or delayed by other consumers due to financial issues in South America and in other places, experts say.

Airbus, which has modified its forecasts for Iranian domestic need, stated it was still negotiating the IranAir deal. The airline company sees itself as a future competitor to Gulf-based super-carriers because of its geographical position.

Preliminary plans to purchase a dozen A380 superjumbos were dropped after criticism from Iranian hardliners. Kashan stated the deal with Airbus will be divided roughly equally between narrow-body jets consisting of the A320 and A321 and wide-body jets such as the A330 and A350.