Iran Air: Contract for 100 Airbus finalized, Model 380 removed

Farhad Parvaresh, the CEO of Iran Air, has announced that the contract for the purchase of 100 Airbus aircraft has been finalized. He also reported the removal of the A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, from the final contract. On December 19, Parvaresh stated that the Airbus planes would begin arriving in Iran next year, initially with seven to eight units, followed by the remainder. However, it is unclear which models will be delivered in the coming months. According to the Iran Air CEO, the A380 model has ultimately been excluded from the final contract with Airbus. The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world but requires new facilities at airports for its operation. Several airports worldwide have been updated and renovated to accommodate this aircraft. Last winter, the possibility of removing this aircraft from the final contract with Airbus was raised. Reports indicate that Iran had agreed to purchase 114 Airbus aircraft, which included models 320, 330, and 350, in addition to the A380. These aircraft are suitable for both medium and long-haul flights. The removal of the A380 from the contract could deal another blow to the production of this wide-body model, especially as it is already struggling to find customers. Bloomberg reports that 12 A380s were part of the initial contract. According to this news network, Airbus had to reduce the production of this model to less than half before finalizing the initial contract with Iran. Parvaresh stated that although the nominal value of the contract with Airbus was announced as $25 billion, the actual figure will not exceed $10 billion. The Iran Air CEO mentioned that a representative from Airbus has been in Iran since last week, and final negotiations with the company have taken place in recent days. Parvaresh also emphasized that the Boeing aircraft, for which a contract has also been finalized, will not arrive at Iranian airports before 2018. Last week, Iran Air and Boeing finalized a contract for the purchase of 80 aircraft worth over $16 billion in Tehran. The Iranian passenger air fleet has become severely outdated and damaged over the past decades due to various sanctions. The nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers has breathed new life into Iran's air transport. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the delivery of these aircraft during Donald Trump's presidency. In Iran, some conservatives have criticized the purchase of these aircraft for what they call 'creating jobs in America.' On the other hand, the newspaper Shargh recently responded to these criticisms, stating that the protesting conservatives have forgotten how much the arrival of these aircraft in Iran will impact job creation within the country.