Airline passenger news and views

In response to beliefs of nuclear threats in Iran, many sanctions have been applied by the United States, heavily affecting Iranian passenger planes in Europe since July 2010.

Indeed, pressure against trading with Iran was applied on all those governments and companies having economic relations with the US. As a consequence, many Western companies at European airports have denied refueling to Iran Air and other Iranian airlines, with those at Heathrow Airport being amongst the first. This move has also made it much harder for the airline to buy western-made spare parts at European airports when needed.

Since then, Iran Air has to go through unscheduled technical stops - for fuel and spare parts - wherever possible and with its passengers, which causes substantial delays among other problems to its flights. The crash of an Iran Air Boeing 727 in January 2011, killing 77 people, raised very serious concerns over the aging of the airline's aircrafts as well.

These sanctions have presented great financial opportunities for those without economic ties with the US, such as Kent's International Airport in Manston which has provided refueling services to Iran Air for flights going to and leaving from Heathrow since the sanctions. As the private airport has no trade ties with the US, it saw this as 'a profitable exercise' says Chief Executive Charles Buchanan.

As of March 2011, an increasing number of airports in Europe have denied refueling to Iran Air as a result of heavier political pressure from the US, like Belgrade where the airline could still stop to refuel until June 2011. Companies denying fuel include giants like Shell, BP, OMV and Total. Following the recent removal of Iranian diplomats from London in December 2011, Manston airport has also decided to stop its services.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iran, Ramin Mehmanparsat, condemned these sanctions as 'inhuman', claiming it is 'contrary to international norms' and that measures will be taken as a response. The country has in fact stopped the provision of kerosene to some European airlines going from Tehran to London and Paris.

This ongoing battle opens many debates on the ethics of these particular sanctions, especially that many civilians are affected by these every day.

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