Iran meets Airbus airworthiness directive despite sanctions

Iran announced that one of its Airbus planes grounded due to US sanctions has become airworthy again thanks to efforts by local engineers to repair or manufacture parts needed to fix its landing gear.

News ID: 5683

Date: 01 January 2025 - 22:37

TABNAK, Jan 01: Local carrier Qeshm Air had met the airworthiness directive issued by Airbus for the landing gear of one of its Airbus 300-600 planes.

The achievement was the result of a joint project by a team of technical and engineering experts of Qeshm Air and the technical and engineering department of Iran’s flag carrier airline Iran Air.

“Considering the oppressive sanctions and the difficulties in the procurement of aircraft parts, this success was made possible thanks to the round-the-clock efforts by the experts of the company,” a statement from Qeshm Air said.

The statement described the achievement as a “shining step on the path to reach self-sufficiency in the Iranian aviation industry”, saying the Airbus plane is now ready to carry out international flights from Iran’s Imam Khomeini airport.

Iran came under an inclusive regime of American sanctions in 2018 after Washington unilaterally withdrew from an international deal on the country's nuclear program.

However, Iran has managed to keep its aviation fleet afloat despite the sanctions that ban the country’s access to foreign technology and spare parts.

The country has even provided aircraft maintenance services to foreign airlines with a report by Reuters news agency in April last year showing that Russia’s largest airline Aeroflot had sent one of its Western-made jets to Iran for repair.

Iran’s civil aviation chief said last month that the country had mastered the technology needed to manufacture spare parts for the engines of Boeing and Airbus jets.