Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 12
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
A senior Iranian official has denied rumors suggesting that there are obstacles to the implementation of the country’s deals with the leading aircraft manufacturers.
Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development for International Affairs Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan also turned down rumors that the Islamic Republic is incapable of settling the costs of the purchase of aircraft, ISNA news agency reported.
“We have already made $330 million in down payment and this amount will be allocated, as soon as we finalize the finance procedure. The contract will be implemented without any problems,” he said.
Saying that Iran is currently examining the market, he added that the country has hired a foreign consultant to introduce a new financial model for purchasing modern aircraft.
“Currently five international aircraft leasing companies have received our documents about the new financial model and they are studying these documents,” the official said.
Reminding that the leasing companies are expected to put forward their proposals by 15 September, he added that the aircraft manufacturers of ATR, Airbus and Boeing will respectively finance 12, 19 and 8 planes purchased by Iran.
The agreements have been finalized and they will be implemented as soon as Iran decides to go on, Fakhrieh-Kashan said.
According to the deputy minister, under a separate finance agreement with another source, Iran will acquire 42 Airbus, 35 Boeing and 20 ATR aircraft.
In the meantime, Iran’s national development fund has decided to allocate $330 million to help the country’s flag carrier IranAir acquire new aircraft, and the airline will use this amount to make down payments.
Speaking about Iran’s deal to purchase Boeing aircraft from the American manufacturer, he played down the significance of speculations on President Donald Trump’s possible decision to kill the contract on selling planes to Iran, saying such a decision would be against the president’s campaign promises to create new job opportunities in the US.
Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan encouraged the American aircraft manufacturer to expand its presence in Iran and conclude new contracts with Iranian airlines.
The deputy minister further touched upon the down payments made by Iran to buy aircraft from the leading manufacturers, adding that Airbus and Boeing have issued payment guarantees which have been approved by a bank in Oman.
The official concluded saying that there is no room for concern and the deals on selling aircraft to Iran are going through their normal procedures.