BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 24. Iran’s aviation industry, airlines, and technology could face severe challenges and even collapse without sufficient support, said Hossein Pourfarzaneh, Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO), Trend reports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Tehran on December 24, Pourfarzaneh underscored that, as a result of the sanctions levied against Iran, the nation is effectively marginalized from the overarching frameworks of global economic paradigms in the aviation sector.
He observed that although worldwide investments are directed towards the aviation sector and airlines may readily procure passenger aircraft and obtain insurance services, Iran has not availed itself of any of these opportunities.
Pourfarzaneh laid it on the line, saying that the sanctions slapped on Iran over the last ten years have left passenger aircraft engines stuck in foreign lands, waiting for a helping hand to get them back in the air. As a consequence, Iran has to roll up its sleeves and handle repairs on the home front.
He also highlighted that the punitive measures enacted against Iran’s national aviation entity, IranAir Airlines Company, have engendered a multitude of obstacles for the procurement of pharmaceuticals and essential raw materials.
As for international flights, the official pointed out that flights to Syria, mainly to Damascus and Latakia, are off the table until January 22, 2025. The ball is in Syria's court regarding the green light for these flights to take off again. In the meantime, flights to Lebanon are sailing smoothly without a hitch. When it comes to Egypt, top brass from both nations are set to hash out the flight arrangements, and they need to lay the groundwork for the tourist visa issuance to come to fruition.
In November 2018, the US decided to tighten the screws on Iran by re-imposing sanctions due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the nation’s nuclear program. These sanctions have thrown a wrench in Iran’s oil exports and put the screws on over 700 banks, companies, and individuals.
In October 2024, the European Council enacted further sanctions on Iran due to its provision of rockets and drones to Russia, as well as its activities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region. Additional restrictions were imposed on Iran's airlines, including IranAir, Mahan, and Saha.