Senior Iranian regime’s aviation executives were at the Dubai Airshow in a discreet campaign to update their ageing passenger jets this week, even as negotiatiation with international powers has not concluded.
Iranian airlines are banned from buying new passenger planes from the world’s two manufacturing giants, Airbus and Boeing, and limp on through purchases from third parties.
But easing the ban on sales of spare parts has been on the agenda of nuclear talks since 2006 and according to Western diplomats remains part of a package of sanctions relief if an agreement is reached on curbing the regime’s nuclear activities.
But it is mostly a case of window-shopping, as big purchases are still well beyond the reach of Iranian carriers.
“Clearly Iran’s aviation industry is in desperate need for new planes and spare parts and other technology necessary for travel in Iran and abroad,” said Theodore Karasik, research director at Dubai think-tank INEGMA.
Source: Reuters