Iran's Minister of Labor: Purchase of Seven Airbus Aircraft Finalized

Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, announced the finalization of the purchase of seven Airbus aircraft to be added to the Aseman Airlines fleet. According to the ISNA news agency, Rabiei stated on Thursday, December 25, that the arrival of these aircraft in Iran and their integration into the Aseman fleet is expected in May of next year. The Minister noted that 'today, Iran's economy has become predictable, and connections with global markets have begun, with foreign companies entering the country's market.' A few days prior, the European Commission announced that Aseman Airlines' aircraft lacked international flight safety standards, preventing them from operating in EU countries. Subsequently, officials from the Civil Aviation Organization stated that Aseman Airlines does not have flights to Europe and has no intention of establishing routes to Europe. With the announcement of the new Airbus aircraft joining the Aseman fleet, the ban on this airline's flights to the European Union may be lifted. Previously, an official from Iran's Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced that a delegation from Airbus had traveled to Tehran to discuss finalizing the agreement for the sale of 100 aircraft. This delegation arrived one day after the finalization of an agreement to purchase 80 aircraft from American company Boeing for Iran Air's fleet. The initial agreement to purchase 118 Airbus aircraft was signed during President Hassan Rouhani's visit to France in the winter of 2015, with a reported value of $25 billion. After some time, Iran reduced the number of desired aircraft to 112. Reports of negotiations and agreements regarding the purchase of Airbus aircraft were met with reactions and opposition in Tehran and Washington. In early December of this year, U.S. officials announced the issuance of a license for Airbus to sell to Iran, describing it as part of the U.S. commitments under the JCPOA. ISNA and Press TV previously reported the completion of final tests on an Airbus A321 aircraft in Hamburg, Germany, which, if Iran makes a cash payment by the end of the current calendar year, will be delivered to Iran Air. According to the U.S. government license, Airbus will sell 17 aircraft to Iran in the first phase, with the finalization of subsequent phases requiring additional licenses from the U.S. Justin Dubon, a spokesperson for Airbus, previously told the Associated Press that these 17 aircraft are from the A320 and A330 models, for which the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a sales license to Iran. Last Sunday, Iran Air and Boeing also signed the final contract for the purchase of 80 aircraft worth $16.6 billion in Tehran. Boeing's Vice President stated that the company finalized the contract with Iran after U.S. government approval. Meanwhile, Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development said that the two companies signed a purchase agreement for aircraft after 41 years. Iranian media also referred to the Boeing aircraft purchase contract as 'historic.' Boeing later issued a statement indicating that this contract would create 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S., involving over 13,000 parts suppliers. The construction and delivery of the aircraft under this contract will span a 10-year period. Years of sanctions on the sale of new aircraft and necessary parts have led to the deterioration of Iran's aviation fleet. Hassan Rouhani's government aimed to modernize Iran's aviation fleet and utilize the capacities of the tourism and air transport industry, prioritizing aircraft purchases after the JCPOA.