Iran has not held any negotiations to purchase Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger planes, says Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi. “Before any acquisition, we need to make sure about the safety of those planes,” IRNA quoted the minister as saying on Monday. Akhoundi’s remarks came after Russian news agency Sputnik International quoted Ilya Tarasenko, president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company–the manufacturer of the plane–as saying on Sunday that the company is eying the delivery of about 100 Sukhoi planes to Iran after western sanctions imposed against the country over its nuclear energy are fully lifted. “We have discussed the deliveries with potential Iranian airline companies,” he claimed. This is the second time Iranian officials dismiss Russian media reports on negotiations between Tehran and Moscow over acquisition of the Russian passenger aircraft. There is serious concern among Iranians over the safety of Sukhoi, following crashes in the past.
