Alwaght- Iran has apparently reached a deal with the US aviation giant Boeing over the purchase of 100 new commercial planes, months after striking a similar deal to buy 118 civil aircraft from European aircraft maker Airbus.
Although financing arrangements are not complete, the historic agreement is likely to cover deliveries and services over nearly a decade at a cost of more than $17 billion.
Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi has been quoted by the media as saying that the deal with Boeing has been finalized, adding that its details will be announced within the next few days.
Akhoundi added that Iran has been able to save at least $5 million in its last negotiations over the finalization of the purchase.
Akhundi said that Iran hoped to become a major hub in the West Asia, adding that Iran’s fleet of passenger jets should include 400 mid-range and 100 short-range planes, requiring an investment of about $50 billion
Last February, Iran’s Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said Iran planned to hold talks with Boeing to purchase planes from the world’s largest aerospace company.
Fakhrieh Kashan said the Boeing Company offered to negotiate with Iran, adding that basically the Islamic Republic will opt for Boeing 737, which is proper for Iranian airlines.
Apart from Airbus and Boeing, Iran is also negotiating with several other global aviation giants over the purchases of planes including Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil.
Last November, Russian officials said the country is negotiating with Iran over the local production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) airliner for regional routes.
