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In
February, Iran's deputy transport minister Asghar Fakhrieh
Kashan told Reuters the country was ready to buy at least 100
jets from Boeing. Boeing said it was assessing the steps needed
to deal with Iran.
"After the authorization from the American administration to
Boeing, we have invited the company to begin talks on developing
the country's air fleet," state TV quoted Iran's road and
transportation minister Abbas Akhoundi as saying on Thursday. It
gave no details on the date of the visit.
The United States gave Boeing a license last month to hold talks
with airlines in Iran, but said it would need additional U.S.
approval to make sales as Iran remains subject to number of U.S.
restrictions.
Boeing's European rival Airbus agreed in January to sell Iran
118 planes worth about $27 billion at list prices after
crippling sanctions against Iran were lifted in return for
Tehran curbing its nuclear program under a deal with major
powers reached in 2015.
Industry observers have said Boeing and other U.S. suppliers are
partly worried about how to handle opposition to the Iran
nuclear deal in Congress and from U.S. allies in the Gulf.
The number and age of Airbus and Boeing aircraft in Iran show
the potential for sales. Many of the Boeing planes date from the
1970s and 1980s.
Iran has none of Boeing's flagship widebody model, the 777, and
continues to fly much older Boeing planes, including 11 747s
that date from 1969 to 1988, according to Flightglobal's Ascend
Fleets database.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Mark Potter)
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