State-owned Iran Air on Monday said it planned to introduce 737 and 777 planes pending approval from its government and the USA completing an agreement with Iran Air could take months amid continued uncertainty from lenders about financing deals with Iran and the need for the US government to sign off on any sale. “Boeing negotiated the MOA under authorizations from the US government following a determination that Iran had met its obligations under the nuclear accord reached last summer”, the company explained.
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Iranian Transportation Minister Abbas Akhoundi said possible deals between the Islamic republic and Boeing could be worth as much as $25 billion, on a par with the country’s earlier agreement with Europe’s Airbus.
The pact with Iran Air is in the early stages and could face additional hurdles, including further review by US trade regulators and possible political blowback from some USA lawmakers.
With most economic sanctions against Iran lifted after it signed the recent nuclear deal, Iran Air is ready to expand its fleet. American officials say the sale would need permission from the U.S. Treasury. But with the looming presidential elections and simmering politics in Washington D.C., signing off an Iranian multibillion dollar deal could delay even further.
According to The Times of Israel, Iran Air, the country’s national carrier, said Monday it wanted to buy a large quantity of the Boeing 737s and 777s from the Chicago-based manufacturer.
The U.S. has maintained sanctions over the sale of planes to some Iranian carriers due to concerns they are involved in supporting terrorism.
“Boeing will continue to follow the lead of the US Government with regards to working with Iran’s airlines”.
Boeing said Iran Air signed a deal expressing its “intent” to purchase aircraft, The Associated Press reported.
With the purchase, Iran’s civil aviation authority is planning to modernise its fleet by including between 400 and 500 aircraft over the next ten years.
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Boeing would not divulge details about the deal – not the number of aircraft involved, the specific models or the price tag. “Companies doing business with Iran should keep in mind the enormous risk to the American people and our allies”.
