Iran reaches deal with Boeing

  • 15/06/2016
Iran reaches deal with Boeing

Iran has reached an agreement with Boeing for the supply of jetliners, reopening the country's skies to new US aircraft for the first time in decades under an international deal to ease sanctions.

Details of the agreement were left vague, but Western and Middle East sources said that once approved, it would involve flag carrier Iranair acquiring more than 100 Boeing jets, both directly from Boeing and from leasing companies.

"In coming days details of the deal with this company will be announced," Roads and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

The sources said the agreement was so far only a broad outline of what a formal deal would look like once Boeing has the necessary US government approvals to sell planes to Iran, which has been banned from buying US jets for almost 40 years.

So far, Boeing has only been granted permission to present its products to Iranair and a handful of other airlines as it tries to catch up with Europe's Airbus, which earlier this year won a provisional deal for 118 jets worth US$27 billion (NZ$38.4 billion).

"We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the US government about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger aeroplanes and services," a Boeing spokesman said by email.

"We do not discuss details of ongoing conversations we are having with customers, and our standard practice is to let customers announce any agreements that are reached. Any agreements reached will be contingent on US government approval."

Reuters