Iran signs multi-billion dollar deal with Airbus for 100 aircraft

Iran signs multi-billion dollar deal with Airbus for 100 aircraft

By Rudaw [ltr]8 hours ago [/ltr]

Iranian airlines have been operating on ageing fleets of Boeing and Airbus airliners, together with some Russian-made aircraft. Photo: Iran Air.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--In what is being described as a “landmark agreement,” aircraft manufacturer Airbus has signed a “firm contract” for 100 aircraft with Iran Air, the country’s flag carrier, following an initial commitment made between the two last January.
 
The deliveries will begin in early 2017, Airbus announced.
 
“This is a landmark agreement not only because it paves the way for Iran Air’s fleet renewal”, said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO, on Thursday, it also includes pilot training, airport operations, and air traffic management. “So this agreement is also a significant first step in the overall modernization of Iran’s commercial aviation sector.”

The initial deal announced last January was worth more than $27 billion for 118 planes, eighteen more than the current agreement.
 
Iran said the deal is an important step towards building a stronger international presence.

“We hope this success signals to the world that the commercial goals of Iran and its counterparts are better achieved with international cooperation and collaboration”, said Farhad Parvaresh, Iran Air’s Chairman and CEO.

The deal includes 46 A320 family, 38 A330 family, and 16 A350 XWB aircraft.

Airlines in Iran have been operating for decades on ageing fleets of Boeing and Airbus airliners, plus some Russian planes bought or leased since the revolution.
 
Decades of sanctions on Iran following a souring of relations between the Islamic Republic and the United States and western nations after the 1979 Iranian revolution, barred Iran from buying Western-built airliners, despite rising demand for air travel from a young and growing population.
 
The US and its Western allies lifted sanctions on Iran early this year, following a nuclear deal with Tehran, technically known as JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action).

Europe-based Airbus said that the agreement follows the implementations of the JCPOA.
 
The deal comes after Iran Air reached a final agreement with Boeing in early December to purchase 80 aircraft, with approval from the US government.
 
Parvaresh said the national carrier signed a deal for 50 Boeing 737s and 30 777 airliners, worth $16.6 billion.

The Boeing planes will be delivered over a 10-year period, Parvaresh said.

Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi said that Iran’s civil aviation fleet of 248 aircraft has an average age of 20 years, with some 100 aging aircraft in storage because they are no longer airworthy.