Dubai: Boeing Co says it is difficult to predict when it will be permitted to meet with Iranian airlines and officials to discuss the country’s aircraft needs.
Iranian officials have estimated it could order as many as 400 aircraft over the next decade to replace it ageing fleet, some it received before the 1979 Revolution.
But Iran is still under sanctions, despite reaching an agreement in July with United States, along with five other world powers, to curb its nuclear capabilities in a trade off for sanctions relief.
Boeing cannot engage in any commercial talks with Iran until the sanctions are lifted and the July agreement still needs to be ratified by the US Congress.
No real discussion
“We’re following the US government and their direction on any interaction with Iran. It’s very difficult to predict when or if our stance will change,” John Wojick, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters in Dubai on Saturday.
He added that, Boeing has “had no real discussion with the Iranians in terms of their requirements or their needs”.
Western and Iranian officials have said the sanctions could be lifted as soon as early 2016.
In April 2014, the United States Treasury Department granted Boeing a licence to sell certain spare parts and manuals to Iran for the country’s commercial fleet.
Wojick said Boeing continues to sell those parts and manuals to Iran but that the value of those transitions were “very, very small”.
