German aircraft engine maker in Iran talks

German aircraft engine maker MTU Aero Engines says it is in talks with several Iranian airlines for supplying maintenance services.

“MTU has great interest in supporting Iranian airlines with maintenance services,” Reiner Winkler told Euro am Sonntag weekly.

The talks with Iranian companies, he said, are done in consultation with German and US export control authorities.

“In Iran, a lot of Western-manufactured aircraft engines are in use which have an elevated demand for maintenance,” he added.

Iran’s airlines are still facing stringent Western restrictions for supply of plane parts and services, according to officials.

The country’s civil aviation is under US and European sanctions which have led to a series of plane crashes in which hundreds of people have lost lives.

Last month’s finalization of nuclear talks has generated hopes of an opening, with leading international aircraft manufacturers indicating interest in business with Iran.

Officials have said Iran would need 400-500 civilian aircraft worth at least $20 billion in the next decade to renovate its aging fleet.

On Thursday, Minister of Transportation Abbas Akhoundi said Iran was in talks with Airbus. The minister made the announcement after meeting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius who visited Tehran following Akhoundi’s trip to Paris to attend an air show in June.

“Airbus, as one of the European aviation companies, comprises about 50% of Iran’s aviation fleet and in this regard, we are in direct negotiations with the company to renovate our fleet,” Akhoundi said.