A few days after its American competitor Boeing, Airbus signed an enormous contract with the national airline Iran Air for the acquisition of 100 medium and long-haul aircraft. The order is expected to worth about $20 billion at the list price.
It includes 46 A320 medium-haul aircraft and 54 long-haul aircraft, consisting of A330 and A350.
The first deliveries could take place in January, said the manufacturer. From a source close to the record, it is specified that the first device delivered will be an A320.
For Iran, this new contract represents another step towards the renewal of the aging fleet of its national airline. The current lineup is made up of about 140 active aircraft with an average age of about 20 years.
“We hope this success signals to the world that the commercial goals of Iran and its counterparts are better achieved with international cooperation and collaboration”, said Mr Farhad Parvaresh, Iran Air Chairman and CEO in the statement.
He added that “Our overall accord includes pilot training, airport operations and air traffic management so this agreement is also a significant first step in the overall modernization of Iran’s commercial aviation sector”.
On Airbus side, Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO wrote that “This is a landmark agreement not only because it paves the way for Iran Air’s fleet renewal”.
A historic deal for Airbus as well as Boeing
This announcement comes less than two weeks after a large contract signed by Boeing for the sale of 50 medium-haul 737 and 30 long-haul 777 to the Iranian national airline.
The two aircraft manufacturers had begun negotiations with Iran just after the conclusion of the July 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers, including the United States.
The final Washington green light came last November after a long process of export licensing approval in the US due to the presence of components from across the Atlantic in the planes of the two giants.