Purchase of 114 Airbus Planes to Be Finalized Next Week: Minister
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhondi announced on Sunday that a major deal with the giant European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for the renovation of Iran’s air fleet is expected to be finalized in the next few days.
It is predicted that the deal on the purchase of 114 planes for Iran Air be signed with Airbus civil aircraft manufacturer during the upcoming visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to France due to start on Wednesday, Akhondi said.
He made the remarks in an address to the ongoing CAPA Iran Aviation Summit 2016, which is underway here in Tehran with representatives of 85 aviation companies, including Airbus, in attendance.
The remarks came as he had earlier announced the country plans to purchase the civil airplanes from Airbus Group SE, as sanctions against Iran’s aviation industry were removed last week.
Iran plans to renovate its air fleet and has taken the first step by making an agreement with Airbus Group SE to purchase 114 planes from the French-based company, Akhoundi told the Tasnim News Agency last Saturday.
Elsewhere in his Sunday remarks, Akhondi said that Iran has provided great opportunities for the development of its aviation industry.
“Short-range, mid-range, and long-range airplanes are among the sectors in which we can provide opportunities for foreign investors to renovate the country’s air fleet,” he stressed.
The Iranian minister further noted that all aviation companies, except for those affiliated with the Zionist regime of Israel, are welcomed to invest in Iran.
Even the American aircraft company Boeing, which could not attend the summit, is welcomed in Iran, and there is no restrictions for the operation of any aviation company in the country, he added.
The 1st edition of Iran Aviation Summit started work on Sunday here in Tehran. The summit, which is held in cooperation with the Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA), is attended by more than 160 representatives from 35 countries.
The Aviation Summit, which will last until Monday, is the first major international aviation summit held in Iran in almost 40 years, according to CAPA.
As a result of the signing of the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015 and its implementation on January 16, Iran’s civil aviation sector, and its tourism industry, are set for significant modernization and expansion following the lifting of sanctions.
The European Union and the United States declared last week that they have removed all sanctions they had imposed on Iran due to its nuclear energy program.