Iran to Become Plane Parts Maker in 7 Years

Iran's aerospace firms can become suppliers of spare parts for planes in the near future, an official said, adding that the country could even export spare parts to other world states at a later stage.

Secretary of the Headquarter for the Development of Aeronautics Technology of Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Manouchehr Manteqi said that the Iranian companies had managed to obtain international certificates and licenses for manufacturing airplane parts.

“We hope that within next seven years we could manufacture airplane parts and even supply (them) to other countries to match the position of European countries,” Manteqi added.

The official said that the Iranian companies had already managed to manufacture “a bulk of” airliner parts whose supply to Iran has been restricted due to the American sanctions.

The aviation official said the achievement puts Iran in the ranks of few countries in the world who have mastered the knowledge to manufacture replacement parts for planes.

Manteqi’s remarks came as Tehran is once again playing host to the annual exhibition of aircraft parts, which is approved and supported by the government and the Iranian aviation industry.

Iranian airlines have sought to strengthen their repair operations since the US re-imposed a series of sanctions on Iran which caused major global plane-makers to stop offering maintenance services to Iran.

Largest carrier Iran Air said last month that its technicians had changed the engine of an old Airbus to return it to service in less than 24 hours amid a busy travel season for Iranian pilgrims.

Officials said the engine installed on the A300-600 had been fully overhauled and assembled by Iran Air engineers.

Experts believe Iran’s aerospace industry would largely benefit from US sanctions as many companies would seek to rely on domestic engineers and technicians who normally emigrate to find jobs in western countries.