Questions have emerged about whether the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued new licenses to Canadian plane manufacturer Bombardier Inc. to sell passenger aircraft to Iran. If true, it would be the first such approval since President Donald Trump took office and comes at a time when Tehran is trying to overcome financing challenges associated with aircraft deals signed in the aftermath of its nuclear accord with the six world powers.
Morteza Sheikhzadeh, a spokesman for Iran’s Qeshm Free Area Organization, told Al-Monitor that Bombardier has reportedly received a license to supply 10 regional CRJ series jets to the organization for its soon-to-be-launched airline, Fly Qeshm. “We and the Canadian company are reviewing the drafted contract, but we haven’t exchanged the papers as of yet,” Sheikhzadeh said. “OFAC licenses for these sales were issued recently.”
