Sanctions-hit Russia sends aircraft to Iran for repairs

TEHRAN, Iran

Russia's largest air carrier has sent one of its planes to Iran for repair for the first time ever, as part of an agreement on cooperation in civil aviation between Tehran and Moscow.

Russian Airlines, commonly known as Aeroflot, which has been grappling with Western sanctions amid the year-long Ukraine war, recently sent one of its Airbus planes to Iran for repair, sources confirmed to Anadolu.

Mahan Air, the privately-owned airline based in Tehran, is expected to carry out the repair and maintenance work on the plane belonging to Russia's flagship carrier.

Last week, Russian media reported that Airbus A330-300 was dispatched to Tehran for maintenance for the first time, citing sources as saying that it came after months of discussion between the two sides.

It came after Boeing and Airbus, the aircraft manufacturers of the US and France respectively, stopped selling spare parts to Russian carriers due to Western sanctions.

Most of Aeroflot's fleet of 179 aircraft, according to reports, comprises of Airbus A320, Boeing 737-800, and Boeing 777-300ER planes.

Russian media said the country's largest aviation company plans to send more A330 planes to Iran for maintenance if repairs in the first plane sent recently go well.

"Maintenance of the Airbus A330 aircraft [in Iran] will be performed by the provider on a wide range of works," a spokesman for Aeroflot was quoted as saying by RBC media group, adding that Mahan Air "has the necessary material base, certificates and vast experience.”

Reacting to Russian media reports, Mohammad Mohammadi Bakhsh, the head of Iran's civil aviation agency, told local media that the two countries signed an agreement on the maintenance and construction of aircraft during his recent visit to Moscow.

"Bilateral memorandums and agreements between Iran and Russia to use the infrastructure for (pilot) training and (aircraft) repair and maintenance centers have been signed at the highest level," he added in statements cited by ISNA news agency.

On Iran's own grounded planes due to US sanctions, the official said they are also undergoing necessary repairs at present.

Bakhsh noted that the aircraft spare parts are produced by local companies in Iran, which has significantly reduced the dependence on foreign companies, pointing to the possibility of Tehran and Moscow "using spare parts" produced by either of them.

In September last year, former Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Rostam Ghasemi, announced the repairment of Russian planes in Iran, which he said showed that the country has "acquired (aircraft) maintenance technology".

Russian Transport Minister Vitaliy Savelyev said in March 2022 that Moscow was using Tehran's experience in servicing aircraft under sanctions.

Iran itself has faced difficulties in the maintenance of its aging carriers due to longstanding US sanctions, except for a brief period in 2015 when sanctions were lifted following the signing of a nuclear deal.