French Aviation Mission in Tehran

Representatives of French firms are in Tehran this week to offer solutions in the fields of aerospace maintenance and airport infrastructure.

“French experts will travel to the city (Tehran) to meet with airlines, MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) centers and the organizations that run local airport infrastructures,” reads a report emailed by Business France, the national agency for the international development of French businesses, which is the organizer of the mission.

Firms active in MRO of aircraft, manufacture of parts and equipment, airport security, aeronautics and ground support equipment, such as Aerotech Pro, Dedienne Aerospace, Laselec, LOGYX, PGA Electronic, Reel, Techman Head and Toulouse Air Spares, are willing to “mark themselves out through innovation” in the “highly competitive” Iranian market.

According to the report, these firms will present “pioneering solutions offering real advantages to Iranian companies seeking to develop and perfect their processes”.

The mission is scheduled to visit Iran Air, Aseman Air, Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, Iranian Aviation and Space Association, and Payam Cargo Airport and Special Economic Zone, it said.

“Objectives of the trade mission are to explore business opportunities with main airlines and local suppliers/MRO companies,” according to the head of Business France Tehran office, Romain Keraval.

French companies are keen to provide additional aerospace services, as Iran has been trying to renovate a decrepit fleet with more than 200 new jetliners from Airbus and Boeing. The multibillion dollar deals signed in late-January are expected to be finalized soon.

“A number of collaborative projects have been launched in the aerospace sector with Airbus which, in addition to supplying aircrafts to local companies, will offer training and operational support services. This is also the case in the airport sector, with French and Iranian firms having already signed contracts for the development of several airports,” the report added.

IKIA Airport City Company has been negotiating a joint venture with French construction firm Bouygues and French airports operator Aéroports de Paris to construct a new passenger terminal in a $2.8 billion deal that would increase airport capacity to 20 million passengers per annum in the first phase. 

Three more phases have been planned, which would help the airport handle 90 million passengers per annum.

The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development established the IKIA Airport City Company in 2015 to serve as the contracting party in public-private partnerships for airport city development.

Paris opened the first major European trade office “Business France” in Tehran back in September 2015 during the visit of a French delegation led by Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Tourism and French Nationals Overseas Matthias Fekl and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Government Spokesperson Stephane Le Foll.

The office, located at the country’s diplomatic mission in Tehran, seeks to facilitate bilateral commercial relations.