Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Boeing officials have voiced their interest in visiting Iran for talks with the country's airlines, an Iranian aviation official said.
Maqsud Asadi samani, an official with Iran's Airlines Association has said that the move came following the US Treasury Department's decision for granting Boeing with a permit to hold talks with Iranian airlines, Fars news agency reported.
Saying that Boeing airplanes form 32 percent of Iran's air fleet, the official added that there are currently about 60 Boeing aircraft in the Islamic Republic.
The Chicago-based airliner manufacturer has announced that it will discuss fleet-planning options with Iranian officials.
If Boeing manages to reach an agreement with Iran on aviation, it will be the second major international manufacturer inking a deal with Iran since mid-January when international sanctions on Iran were lifted.
Over the past decades and after the removal of crippling nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, Airbuss was the first airplane manufacturer to seal a major aviation deal with Iran.
On January 28, Tehran signed a historic deal with Airbus for the purchase of 118 airliners (73 widebodies, 45 single aisle) including 12 A380 superjumbos.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the European aircraft manufacturer will train Iranian pilots as well as technicians to maintain the planes.