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| Airbus to Start Talks With Iran About Buying New Jets | Airbus to Start Talks With Iran About Buying New Jets |
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| LONDON — Airbus confirmed on Monday that it was poised to begin negotiations with Iran for the sale of dozens of new commercial aircraft, part of a raft of international business that is expected to flow toward Tehran since it agreed to curtail its nuclear ambitions and crippling economic sanctions were lifted. | LONDON — Airbus confirmed on Monday that it was poised to begin negotiations with Iran for the sale of dozens of new commercial aircraft, part of a raft of international business that is expected to flow toward Tehran since it agreed to curtail its nuclear ambitions and crippling economic sanctions were lifted. |
| “We have listened to the Iranians, and we are ready to engage in commercial negotiations,” said Stefan Schaffrath, an Airbus spokesman in Toulouse, France. | “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 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. | 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. |
| “We have been negotiating for 10 months” for the purchase of planes, but “there was no way to pay for them because of banking sanctions,” the Iranian state news media quoted Abba Akhoondi, the country’s transportation minister, as saying. | “We have been negotiating for 10 months” for the purchase of planes, but “there was no way to pay for them because of banking sanctions,” the Iranian state news media quoted Abba Akhoondi, the country’s transportation minister, as saying. |
| News reports, citing Iranian officials, have indicated that the orders could include dozens of Airbus’s biggest-selling single-aisle A320 jets, as well as several A330 and A350 widebodies. The country’s flag carrier, Iran Air, is also interested in as many as eight A380s, the reports said, as well as around 40 regional turboprops built by ATR, a joint venture between Airbus and Finmeccanica of Italy. | News reports, citing Iranian officials, have indicated that the orders could include dozens of Airbus’s biggest-selling single-aisle A320 jets, as well as several A330 and A350 widebodies. The country’s flag carrier, Iran Air, is also interested in as many as eight A380s, the reports said, as well as around 40 regional turboprops built by ATR, a joint venture between Airbus and Finmeccanica of Italy. |
| The orders, which are likely to be partly financed with loans from European export-credit agencies, could be announced as early as this week in Paris during a visit by the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, Mr. Akhoondi said. | The orders, which are likely to be partly financed with loans from European export-credit agencies, could be announced as early as this week in Paris during a visit by the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, Mr. Akhoondi said. |
| Airbus would not confirm that discussions with Iran were sufficiently advanced to lead to an order in the coming days. | Airbus would not confirm that discussions with Iran were sufficiently advanced to lead to an order in the coming days. |
| “The sanctions have only just been lifted allowing commercial discussions to begin,” Mr. Schaffrath said. “Although Iran clearly has a need for new aircraft, we conform strictly to all applicable international laws.” | “The sanctions have only just been lifted allowing commercial discussions to begin,” Mr. Schaffrath said. “Although Iran clearly has a need for new aircraft, we conform strictly to all applicable international laws.” |
| A deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program paved the way for billions of dollars of frozen Iranian assets to be released. The accord also freed Western companies to do business in Iran after being banned from doing so for close to two decades. | A deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program paved the way for billions of dollars of frozen Iranian assets to be released. The accord also freed Western companies to do business in Iran after being banned from doing so for close to two decades. |
| The sanctions have left oil-rich Iran, which once aspired to fly supersonic Concordes to London and New York from Tehran, with one of the world’s oldest and most accident-prone aircraft fleets. Iran Air is one of the only airlines operating exclusively Western-built jets, consisting of around 40 planes with an average age of 25 years, including several Boeing 747s as well as models no longer in production, like the Airbus 300 and the Fokker 100. | The sanctions have left oil-rich Iran, which once aspired to fly supersonic Concordes to London and New York from Tehran, with one of the world’s oldest and most accident-prone aircraft fleets. Iran Air is one of the only airlines operating exclusively Western-built jets, consisting of around 40 planes with an average age of 25 years, including several Boeing 747s as well as models no longer in production, like the Airbus 300 and the Fokker 100. |
| Until the United States and European governments provided sanctions relief last year, trade restrictions had prohibited the sale of spare parts for the dozens of creaking Western-made aircraft, forcing Iranian carriers either to turn to the black market or to resort to deception, concealing their purchases through front companies. | |
| Smaller Iranian airlines have relied heavily on Russian-built planes — usually obtained secondhand or built under license in Iran — and often of questionable airworthiness. | Smaller Iranian airlines have relied heavily on Russian-built planes — usually obtained secondhand or built under license in Iran — and often of questionable airworthiness. |
| Fatal air accidents have occurred with alarming frequency in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution, there have been 26 civilian plane crashes in the country, according to the Aviation Safety Network, claiming more than 900 lives. The most recent crash took place in August 2014 and killed all 39 aboard. | |
| With a full lifting of sanctions on aircraft sales, analysts estimate that Iran’s commercial fleet could expand rapidly to around 400 or 500 jets over the next five years, from around 150 planes today. | |
| The news comes as several European airlines are considering resuming service to Iran. Air France recently announced plans for a regular Paris to Tehran service to start this year, while its Dutch partner, KLM, has also expressed interest in serving the Iranian capital from Amsterdam. International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia of Spain, has also said it is considering flights to Tehran. |