Some states decline to supply fuel for Iranian air fleet: report

[Pasban]

Some states decline to supply fuel for Iranian air fleet: report

2010-07-05 21:19:40

TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian aviation official said Monday that certain states have declined to supply fuel for Iranian air passenger fleet, local ISNA news agency reported.

"British, German and United Arab Emirates' airports have declined to supply fuel to Iranian passenger jets since last week (on Thursday) following U.S. unilateral sanctions law passed against Iran," Mehdi Aliari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union was quoted as saying by ISNA.

"Iranian air fleet should provide their fuel from Iran or stop at the countries on their ways, which will double the cost of flights," said Aliari.

Air transport is an international issue by nature, and sanctions affecting Iran in this regard is against international air travel regulations and against humanity, he said.

Iran expects International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) make a probe into such an illegal action, he added.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed a new Iran sanction bill into law, which is described by him as "striking at the heart" of Iranian government's nuclear ability.

Some states decline to supply fuel for Iranian air fleet: report

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Some states decline to supply fuel for Iranian air fleet: report

2010-07-05 21:19:40

TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian aviation official said Monday that certain states have declined to supply fuel for Iranian air passenger fleet, local ISNA news agency reported.

"British, German and United Arab Emirates' airports have declined to supply fuel to Iranian passenger jets since last week (on Thursday) following U.S. unilateral sanctions law passed against Iran," Mehdi Aliari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union was quoted as saying by ISNA.

"Iranian air fleet should provide their fuel from Iran or stop at the countries on their ways, which will double the cost of flights," said Aliari.

Air transport is an international issue by nature, and sanctions affecting Iran in this regard is against international air travel regulations and against humanity, he said.

Iran expects International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) make a probe into such an illegal action, he added.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed a new Iran sanction bill into law, which is described by him as "striking at the heart" of Iranian government's nuclear ability.

Some states decline to supply fuel for Iranian air fleet: report

I am not sure how fuel for passenger planes is going to stop Iranian ambitions to be a dignified nation in world as a power

 

[sparklingway]

Iran says its passenger jets were refused fuel abroad

Page last updated at 17:18 GMT, Monday, 5 July 2010 18:18 UK

Iran Air passenger jet at Paris-Orly airport (file image) Iran says the alleged fuel ban is doubling its aviation costs

Iran has accused the UK, Germany and the UAE of refusing to provide fuel to Iranian passenger planes.

The allegation came days after the US enacted unilateral sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, to penalise foreign companies trading with Tehran.

Britain said it was not aware of any refusal to refuel Iranian planes, and Germany stressed there was no ban.

Oil firms contacted by the BBC said they could not comment on individual contracts.

Tehran says its nuclear industry is for peaceful purposes but Western powers fear it is trying to develop a bomb.

"Since last week, our planes have been refused fuel at airports in Britain, Germany and UAE because of the sanctions imposed by America," Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, told Iranian media.

He said the national carrier Iran Air and a private airline, Mahan Air, had both run into refuelling problems.

"Refusing to provide fuel to Iranian passenger planes by these countries is a violation of international conventions," he added.
'Retaliation'

Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said Iran would retaliate.

"Iran will do the same to ships and planes of those countries that cause problems for us," Iran's Isna news agency quoted him as saying.

A spokeswoman for the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), which manages the airports in the UAE cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, told Reuters news agency the company was continuing to refuel Iranian jets.
UN Security Council 9.6.10 The UN Security Council has imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran

"We have contracts with Iranian passenger flights and continue to allow refuelling," she added.

But AFP news agency quoted "a source close to the aviation sector in the UAE" as saying there had been a problem with an unnamed international fuel supplier.

"A servicing company which provides fuelling at several airports around the world has refused to provide Iranian planes with fuel, including at UAE terminals," the source said on condition of anonymity.

A spokesman for the UK's Civil Aviation Authority told the BBC any move to withhold fuel would be down to individual fuel companies.

Germany's transport ministry said the refuelling of Iranian planes was not banned under EU or UN sanctions but it would not comment on whether any individual providers were refusing to fuel Iranian aircraft.

The US sanctions prohibit the sale or provision to Iran of refined petroleum products worth more than $5m (£3.3m) over a year.

Paul Reynolds, world affairs correspondent for the BBC News website, said it might be that fuel companies are worried that their sales over a year might add up to $5m, in which case they could face a possible ban on doing business in the US.

An Iranian aviation official said Iranian airliners were filling up with as much fuel as possible inside Iran.

But they were also having to refuel in countries along their route not imposing a ban, a move which the official said was doubling costs.

The new US sanctions were signed into law by President Barack Obama last week.

Last month, the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran for failing to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.

BBC News - Iran says its passenger jets were refused fuel abroad

 

[Pasban]

BP reported to halt fuelling of Iranian planes

Module body

Mon Jul 5, 5:49 PM

By Parisa Hafezi
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TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran complained on Monday that its planes had been denied fuel in Germany, Britain and the United Arab Emirates, and Washington said commercial firms were making the "right choices" by cutting business ties with Tehran.

The Financial Times newspaper said oil major BP had stopped refueling Iranian jets. BP declined to confirm the report but said: "We fully comply with any international sanctions imposed in countries where we operate."

Pressure is mounting on Iran over its nuclear program and the United States has stepped up its push to isolate Tehran economically. On Thursday, President Barack Obama signed into law far-reaching sanctions that aim to squeeze the Islamic Republic's fuel imports and deepen its international isolation.

"Since last week, our planes have been refused fuel at airports in Britain, Germany and UAE because of the sanctions imposed by America," Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, told Iran's ISNA news agency. So far national carrier Iran Air and Mahan Airlines had been affected, he said.

Washington has not spelled out whether its new sanctions are intended to require firms to refuse to fuel Iranian jets at airports in third countries, but U.S. officials made clear they were pleased with reports sanctions had begun to bite.

"The costs of doing business with Iran, a country that is shirking its international obligations across the board and engaged in illicit activity, are rising," a senior Obama administration official said on Monday.

"The international commercial sector is making the right choices. It's now time for Iran to make the right choice -- to fulfil its international obligations -- that remains our primary objective," the official said.

A source in the UAE familiar with the issue said a private firm had refused to refuel an Iranian plane there, but the UAE had imposed no ban of its own. The source did not name the firm.

"The UAE has nothing to do with it," the source said. "They (Iranian planes) are more than welcome." The source added: "It is just one company and there are other companies. There are other service providers and Iranians can seek deals with them."

A British government source said halting supplies would be a commercial decision by private firms, but London was not aware of any such incident in the UK. The German Transport Ministry said there was no ban on refueling Iranian flights in Germany.

TIGHTENING FINANCIAL RULES

Western powers believe Iran is trying to build bombs under cover of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran says the program is only for electricity generation and medical purposes.

Sanctions appear to be having an impact. Over the past weeks a number of countries and firms have cut back on imports of Iranian crude oil. Other companies have stopped providing Iran with refined petroleum.

The UAE took steps last week to tighten its crucial role as a trading and financial lifeline for Iran. The UAE Central Bank asked financial institutions to freeze the accounts of 40 entities and an individual blacklisted by the United Nations for assisting Iran's nuclear or missile programs.

The U.S. measures go far beyond U.N. sanctions imposed last month, by targeting firms that sell refined oil products such as gasoline to Iran, which despite being a major crude exporter imports oil products because of a lack of refining capacity.

However, Gala Riani at IHS Global Insight said preventing the fuelling of Iranian flights seemed a "very strict reading" of the new U.S. law, which is more directed at trade in fuel.

A spokeswoman for Abu Dhabi Airports Co (ADAC) in the UAE capital said: "We have contracts with Iranian passenger flights and continue to allow refueling."

Fuel traders from three different international firms said they had heard of no ban on jet fuel sales to Iranian aircraft at UAE airports. Said one trader: "You can't allow a plane to land and then not let it buy fuel."

(Additional reporting by Stanley Carvalho in Abu Dhabi and Tamara Walid, Fred Dahl and Amena Bakr in Dubai and Caroline Copley in London; Editing by Peter Graff)


BP reported to halt fuelling of Iranian planes - Yahoo! Canada News