Leasing Aircraft for Aseman Airlines 'Not Related to Current Negotiations with Airbus'

One day after news agencies reported that Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Labor, announced that the contract for the purchase of 7 aircraft for Aseman Airlines from Airbus had been finalized, it became clear that this contract pertains to the leasing of these aircraft and has no connection to the current negotiations between Airbus and Iran Air. The news published on Thursday caused confusion, especially in French media, as reported by Reuters. The report cited Iranian Labor Minister Ali Rabiei, who stated that the purchase of 7 Airbus aircraft for Aseman Airlines had been finalized, with the aircraft scheduled for delivery to Iran in the month of Ordibehesht next year. The complexity of the issue arose because Airbus officials are in Tehran to finalize a sale contract for about 100 aircraft with Iran Air, leading to the impression that the contract mentioned by Mr. Rabiei was for 7 aircraft instead of 100. However, as reported by domestic media in Iran and Reuters on Friday, the contract referred to by the Minister of Roads relates to leasing between Aseman Airlines and Airbus, while discussions between this aviation giant and Iran Air are still ongoing. According to Hossein Alai, CEO of Aseman Airlines, the company has added 3 Airbus aircraft and 2 Boeing aircraft to its fleet over the past two years, and it aims to add suitable aircraft types for regional flights in Iran. Aseman Airlines is among the companies that have recently been placed on the European Union's blacklist due to its aircraft allegedly lacking international standards, and the company has stated that it currently has no plans to operate flights to Europe and is focused on expanding its fleet. Iranian airlines, including Iran Air and others, have faced numerous challenges after decades of international sanctions until the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers opened the way for the modernization of Iran's air fleet. However, purchases and transactions between Iran and giants like Boeing and Airbus are subject to approval from the U.S. Treasury Department, which was granted recently, allowing Iran to move forward in this regard. Iran Air has now finalized a contract to purchase 80 aircraft from Boeing and is taking final steps to purchase about 100 aircraft from Airbus.