Iran signs deal with France to buy 118 Airbus

Iran has signed a deal to buy 118 Airbus planes worth 25 billion dollars at list prices in one of the biggest deals signed since Western sanctions against Tehran were lifted. The agreement was signed during a visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to France. 

The order included 73 wide body and 45 narrow body jets, including 12 A380 superjumbos. Iran's decision to buy the A380 is a significant boost for Airbus. The company has struggled to



convince airlines to order the world's biggest passenger aircraft in the past two years. Airbus only broke even on the A380 programme last year, a decade after it first took to the air.

The huge deal will depend on Airbus winning US export licences because more than 10 per cent of the parts for the planes are made in the United States. It also covers the training of pilots, airport operations and air traffic management support, the company said.