Iran Air set to get five new ATR planes as US sanctions loom
Iran's national flag carrier Iran Air is set to receive five new ATR planes amid looming US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
"Based on existing agreements, five new ATR planes will land at Mehrabad Airport at 9 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) tomorrow (Sunday)," Iran Air said on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
Iran Air CEO Farzaneh Sharafbafi, who is in France, was quoted by media as saying that the new aircraft would fly to Iran from the Toulouse airport.
The five turboprop ATR-72600 planes are part of a deal for 20 new aircraft that Iran Air agreed to buy from the Franco-Italian aircraft maker in April 2017, of which eight have been delivered so far.
The agreement came after restrictions on Iran’s aviation industry were lifted following the implementation of the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
On May 8, however, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the JCPOA despite objections from other signatories to the deal - Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
The withdrawal entails not only the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran but also the so-called secondary sanctions on third countries. Some of those sanctions will take effect after a 90-day wind-down period ending on August 6, and the rest after a 180-day wind-down period ending on November 4.
Monday will mark the final day of the 90-day wind-down period after which US sanctions will snap back into place.
Earlier this week, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he was "hopeful" that ATR would get permission from the US to deliver eight regional planes to Iran before August 6.
"I am hopeful that the United States will give us permission to deliver these ATRs," he told French broadcaster BFM TV.
"There were eight to be delivered before August 6," he added, highlighting the "significant share" of the order for ATR’s turnover.
In 2016, Iran signed a $18 billion deal with European manufacturer Airbus to purchase 100 new planes, including 46 aircraft from the A320 family, 38 from the A330 family, and 16 from the A350 XWB.
It also inked another agreement worth $16.6 billion to buy 80 new planes from US aviation company Boeing, comprising 50 737 airliners and 30 777s.
Iran has so far received three Airbus planes.
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