Brussels – Experts will next month carry out safety inspections at Iran Air to determine if the partially banned on airline should be given more access to the EU market, the bloc’s executive said on Monday.
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 cooperation.
But the decision on Iran Air will be driven solely by safety considerations, European Commission spokesman Jakub Adamowicz said.
“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,” he said.
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. (dpa/NAN)
