Tags
Experts will next month carry out safety inspections at Iran Air to determine if the partially banned airline should be given more access to the EU market, the bloc’s executive said yesterday.
The move comes as relations between Iran and Europe thaw in the wake of a deal that Tehran signed with world powers to curb its nuclear activities. Top EU officials visited Iran on Saturday in a bid to boost economic and political co-operation.
But the decision on Iran Air will be driven solely by safety considerations, European Commission spokesman Jakub Adamowicz told journalists in Brussels yesterday.
“These are technical discussions, which means this is not a political decision,” he said. “The safety of flights is not conditioned by the nationality of an airline, but by the technical condition of the aircraft.”
The European Union has been restricting the operations of Iran Air in Europe since 2010, after airport inspections revealed serious safety problems. Only 12 of its aircraft are currently allowed into European airspace, according to Adamowicz.
Iran Air operates a total of 43 aircraft, according to its website.
Adamowicz said that EU experts will travel to Tehran in May to assess whether Iran Air “has resolved the issues” which led to its partial blacklisting.
Tehran concluded its landmark nuclear deal with world powers last year. In return, it secured the removal of international economic sanctions, which had hampered its oil and gas exports and isolated Iran from the international banking system.
The nuclear deal has allowed the once-pariah state to re-emerge on the world stage. The French airline Air France on Sunday started offering direct flights from Paris to Tehran three times a week.
Kerry to meet Iranian FM today
US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif in New York today to discuss implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, American and Iranian officials said yesterday.
“Yes, they’ll meet tomorrow in New York,” a US official said.
Iran and six major world powers clinched the nuclear agreement in July 2015, allowing for the easing of some sanctions in return for Tehran putting long-term curbs on its nuclear programme.
Tehran has complained it has been unable to secure access to the global financial system despite the lifting of sanctions.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
