Iran Air CEO: Boeing Deal Safe

The recent ruling by a US federal court ordering aerospace giant Boeing to disclose the details its contract with Iran will not create any problem for Iran's flag carrier, says Farzaneh Sharafbafi, Iran Air’s CEO.

"The federal government has made it clear that both the US government and Boeing will remain committed to the nuclear deal," local news agency TINN quoted her as saying on Saturday.

The licenses issued by the US Treasury's Office for Foreign Assets Control are valid by December 2020, she said, firmly stating that the airline faces no problem in this regard.

Iran Air signed a landmark contract in December 2016 to purchase 80 passenger jets from American plane manufacturer Boeing.

Iranian officials have made it clear that any attempt by the US to block the sales of aircraft to Iran is tantamount to blatant violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Tehran's nuclear program.

"One of the clearest clauses of JCPOA stipulates aircraft sales to Iran," deputy minister of roads and urban development for international affairs Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan said back in December.

Back then the Iranian deputy minister said should the US Senate approves any measure that negatively affects the aircraft sales, Iran will have the option to file a complaint with a joint commission affiliated with five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the UK, China, Russia, France as well as the US) plus Germany—known as P5+1.

According to Fakhrieh-Kashan, the move also aims to scare off financial institutions from dealing with Iran.

Iran has reportedly signed two preliminary contracts one with a Chinese and another with a European firm to finance its airplane orders.

"We held serious talks with five major lessors; however, at the moment only two of them remain interested in financing Iran Air's plane deal," Fakhrieh-Kashan said in late December.

Boeing has committed to finance eight jets for Iran Air, he added.

The flag carrier has now 11 new airplanes delivered as part of the deals it has signed with global planemakers after the nuclear deal—one Airbus A321, two Airbus A330s, and 8 ATR 72-600 turboprops. The company also expects deliveries of 12 more ATR planes by the end of 2018.

According to Sharafbafi, the flag carrier’s upcoming deliveries in 2018 include Boeing 777, Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 jets.

source: Financial Tribune