DUBAI—Iran wants to buy up to 90 airplanes a year from Boeing
and Airbus to revive its aging fleet following last month's
landmark nuclear deal, according to a report Sunday by the official
Islamic Republic News Agency.
"Iran will buy a total of 80 to 90 planes a year from the two
aviation giants in the first phase of renovating its air fleet,"
Mohammad Khodakarami, the director of Iran's Civil Aviation
Organization, was quoted as saying in the report.
The planes would be purchased from Boeing and Airbus in equal
numbers, he said.
Sanctions by the U.S., European Union and United Nations over
the past decade have hit Iran's aviation industry hard. The
restrictions have limited the ability of Iranian airlines to buy
parts from France's Airbus and Chicago-based Boeing; sales of
planes to Iran have been all but prohibited.
However, with a nuclear deal struck last month in Vienna
aircraft-related sanctions are to be removed, allowing Iranian
airlines to undergo a much-needed upgrade.
The deal is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Congress, which
has a 60-day window to weigh in. Iran's Supreme National Security
Council must also give its approval.
Abbas Akhoundi, Iran's transport minister, said in June that
Iranian airlines needed to buy up to 400 new planes in the next
decade, costing more than $20 billion.
But Mr. Khodakarami laid out a more aggressive schedule in
Sunday's report, suggesting Iran needed to put at least 80 new
planes into service annually for five years.
The money to buy the planes would come from a combination of
state funding, foreign borrowing and leasing, he was quoted as
saying.
Write to Asa Fitch at asa.fitch@wsj.com
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