ATR Says Expects to Sign Aircraft Deal with Iran Air Soon

"We have concluded the negotiations and we should sign the contract imminently," Christian Scherer said on Friday, Reuters reported.

Iranian officials said in December that a deal for 20 twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-600 aircraft was close.

Iran Air and ATR have spent months negotiating a firm order for 20 ATR 72-600 aircraft worth 540 million euros ($576 million) at list prices, with options for another 20. 

On January 12, the first commercial airliner purchased from Airbus following the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers landed at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport.

Iran Air is reportedly set to receive the next seven or eight planes from Airbus in 2017.

During a January 2016 visit to Paris by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran signed a major contract with Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes.

Iran and Airbus intensified business negotiations in October 2016 following the US decision to remove a final hurdle for Western aircraft manufacturers to sell planes to Iran under contracts signed after coming into force of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany).

While Western plane makers are very keen on trade with Iran, Washington still demands that even non-American manufacturers wishing to sell to Iran obtain an export license if their products include materials made in the United States. Airbus, based in Europe, buys more than 40 percent of all its aircraft parts from the US.

Iran sealed another deal in June worth around $25 billion with the US aerospace heavyweight, Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes.

In December, the deal with Boeing was finalized, allowing Iran to buy 80 planes within 10 years. The first deliveries are expected in 2018.