Airbus Poised to Negotiate Aircraft Purchases with Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Airbus, the giant European aircraft manufacturer, confirmed on Monday that it is ready to start talks with Iran for the sale of dozens of new commercial aircraft following the termination of anti-Tehran sanctions.
“We have listened to the Iranians, and we are ready to engage in commercial negotiations,” said Stefan Schaffrath, an Airbus spokesman in Toulouse, France, The New York Times reported.
“The sanctions have only just been lifted allowing commercial discussions to begin,” he added.
The remarks came hours after Iranian officials told journalists at a gathering of aviation industry executives in Tehran that Iran was looking to place orders for more than 100 European-made aircraft, ranging from 100-seat turboprops to the 555-seat twin-deck Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhondi announced on Sunday that a major deal with Airbus for the renovation of Iran’s air fleet is expected to be finalized in the next few days.
The 1st edition of Iran Aviation Summit started work on Sunday here in Tehran with representatives of 85 companies, including the giant Airbus, in attendance.
The summit, held in cooperation with the Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA), is being attended by more than 160 representatives from 35 countries.
Such renowned companies as Lufthansa Technik, a leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft, engines and components, Canada’s aerospace and transportation company Bombardier Inc., and Brazil’s aerospace company Embraer have taken part in the two-day summit.
The European Union and the United States declared earlier this month that they have removed all sanctions they had imposed on Iran due to its nuclear energy program.
