Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iran hopes to re-launch 80 per cent of its grounded planes once it receives the permission to import spare parts.
Ali Mohammad Nourian said the permission for importing the first batch of spare parts will be finalized in two weeks, Iran's ISNA news agency reported on April 11.
Nourian, who is the Iranian deputy transport minister, added that 80 percent of grounded planes of the national fleet are hoped to be re-launched.
On the other hand, IRNA news agency quoted Iranian foreign ministry director general for Political and International Affairs Hamid Baeedinejad as saying on April 11 that permission was issued for Iran to send airplane parts and engines to Europe for repair based on the Geneva nuclear deal.
Last Friday, Boeing Co (BA.N), the world's biggest airplane maker, said it had received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to export certain spare parts for commercial aircraft to Iran under a temporary sanctions relief deal that began in January, Reuters reported.
A Boeing spokesman said the company received the license this week and would now contact officials in Iran to determine which parts were needed.
He said the license covered only components needed to ensure continued safe flight operations of older Boeing planes sold to Iran before the 1979 revolution, and did not allow any discussions about sales of new aircraft to Iran.
"It's very limited," said the spokesman.
The sales would be the first acknowledged dealings between U.S. aerospace companies and Iran since the 1979 U.S. hostage crisis led to U.S. sanctions that were later broadened during the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities.
Reuters reported in February that both Boeing and engine maker General Electric Co (GE.N) had applied for permission to export aircraft parts to Iran during a six-month wind down agreed on by Iran and six world powers in November.
Iran agreed in November to curtail its nuclear activities for six months from Jan. 20 in exchange for sanctions relief from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. The deal provides for the sale of parts to flag carrier Iran Air, the fleet of which includes vintage Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) jetliners delivered as long ago as 1978.
Iran says the sanctions have prevented it from renewing its fleet, forcing it to use sub-standard Russian aircraft and to patch up jets that have long since exceed their normal years of service. Since 1990 it has had more than 200 accidents, causing more than 2,000 deaths, according to official news agency IRNA.
Boeing said the license was granted under the temporary sanctions relief deal, and was aimed at helping improve the safety of Iran's aircraft.