Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 19
By Farhad Daneshvar – Trend:
Iran says that a long awaited deal with the French aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, is due to reach over the current week.
Iranian transportation minister, Abbas Akhoundi, declined to provide further details vowing to disclose details after finalizing the aviation deal, ILNA news agency reported.
He made the remarks on the sidelines of an exhibition on transportation and urban planning in Tehran on Dec. 18.
Reuters earlier reported that Iran's Aseman Airlines had agreed to lease seven Airbus (AIR.PA) jets.
Labour Minister Ali Rabii was quoted by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) as saying that Iran, which is negotiating with Airbus through state flag carrier IranAir, had agreed with Airbus to buy seven aircraft.
The report fueled French media speculation that a keenly awaited deal between IranAir and Airbus for more than 100 aircraft had been watered down significantly.
But industry sources said the two deals were not connected and identified regional carrier Aseman Airlines as the company behind the much smaller deal to procure seven aircraft, which Rabii said would start arriving in May.
Those jets will be leased rather than purchased directly from Airbus, the sources said, without identifying the leasing company.