Iran's national airline, Iran Air, is preparing for the day it receives relief from US sanctions that have depleted its fleet and limited access to global airspace. The carrier is looking for aircraft and partners to expand operations. This is reported by Bloomberg, передає УНН.
Details
While nuclear talks between Iran and the United States are ongoing, Iran Air's management took advantage of the International Air Transport Association IATA's annual meeting in New Delhi last week to find out information about potential airline partners and potential suppliers.
Iran Air executives contacted representatives of Japan Airlines Co, Vietnam Airlines and Royal Air Maroc, seeking code-sharing agreements, sources told the publication on condition of anonymity. The meetings were mostly situational, given the location of the conference room and the delicacy of doing business with Iran.
Executives from Iran's state-owned carrier also attended an evening reception sponsored by Boeing Co to consider which aircraft Iran Air could purchase if US-made vessels become available again, the sources added.
Tehran-based Iran Air is seeking to expand its operations to meet growing travel demand. It is actively looking for new aircraft, spare parts and partnerships with carriers that fly to destinations that it is currently prohibited from serving, sources said.
The carrier aims to increase its fleet from less than 50 aircraft, most of which are not in operation, to at least 100. It hopes to do this through direct purchases, if permitted, or by acquiring used aircraft on foreign markets.
US President Donald Trump's free approach to trade and foreign policy suggests that current diplomatic efforts could potentially lead to the opening of opportunities for Iran Air. This may be possible after decades of restrictions. Boeing purchases played a central role in Trump's recent trip to the Middle East and were featured in a trade agreement with the UK.
But there are no signs of a breakthrough in relations between the US and Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week opposed US pressure to end Iran's uranium enrichment programs, calling US demands "arrogant" and vowing not to give in.