Iran could buy Boeing aircraft in euros

Iranian airlines could purchase Boeing passenger jets in euros rather than the industry-preferred dollar if the United States’ financial system does not open up to Iran, a Boeing executive suggested Thursday. Boeing has been talking with “more than” two Iranian carriers, including flag airline Iran Air but not the Revolutionary Guard-owned Mahan Air, since February after the US government granted limited approval. Boeing has spoken with Iranian airlines about all of its models currently in production, Marty Bentrott, Boeing’s vice-president for Middle East sales, told reporters in Dublin on Thursday. “There is some very positive interest,” he said. Boeing was pipped by European rival Airbus who signed a preliminary agreement in January to sell Iran 118 aircraft valued at $27b. “There is plenty of opportunity still for Boeing,” Bentrott said. The approval allows Boeing to advise certain Iranian carriers of the technical capabilities of its aircraft, discuss the airline’s fleeting requirements and finalise general terms and conditions necessary to complete a transaction including on pricing. But the plane maker will have to apply to the US Treasury for a second license if it wants to complete any sale in what is seen as one of the last major untapped markets for new jets. Bentrott declined to say when Boeing could apply for the sale licence. “We just have to make sure we follow all the appropriate guidelines,” he said. <br/>