CEO of Iran Air: The Aviation Industry in Iraq and Afghanistan is Better than Ours

The CEO of Iran Air has acknowledged that the conditions of the aviation industry in neighboring countries are better than in Iran, as the Islamic Republic is under sanctions and struggles to replace aircraft parts. According to Tasnim News Agency, Farzaneh Sharafbafi emphasized during a meeting with the Tehran prosecutor regarding the constant delays of Iran Air flights that high expectations should not be held for Iran Air. She stated, "The situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and neighboring countries in the aviation industry is better than Iran because we are under sanctions and face difficulties in securing two aircraft equipment parts." The aging Iranian fleet, which has led to many fatal accidents, prompted Hassan Rouhani's government to make significant purchases from Airbus and Boeing ATR following the nuclear agreement with world powers. However, while only a handful of these aircraft have been delivered to Iran, the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA has jeopardized all these contracts, with the U.S. Treasury Secretary recently announcing that Washington would revoke the license for the sale of Airbus and Boeing aircraft to Iran. Meanwhile, the CEO of Iran Air, referring to the return of U.S. sanctions against Iran, predicted that "soon the supply of fuel for our international flights will also be cut off, and we will have to send suitcases full of cash to secure fuel." Ms. Sharafbafi also asked Iran Air passengers to be patient during flight delays, noting, "I just came from Turkey, and my flight in Brussels was delayed, and no one complained." Ultimately, the CEO of Iran Air pointed to the age of the country's fleet, which is 24 years old, saying, "We must see what we have given to this industry that we have such high expectations of it." Boeing had signed a contract to sell 80 aircraft worth $17 billion to Iran Air in 2016 after the nuclear agreement, while Airbus is set to sell 100 aircraft to Iran. The contract with ATR also includes 20 aircraft.