Iranian flag carrier Iran Air has been taken off a safety blacklist and cleared to fly in the European Union, the European Commission said Thursday. "Following my visit to Iran in April, a technical assessment was successfully carried out in May," EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said in a statement. "Based on this I am happy to announce that we are now able to allow most aircraft from Iran Air back into European skies," Bulc said.
Previously, only the carrier''s EU-manufactured Airbus planes could operate in the bloc. A Commission official said that while most of Iran Air''s fleet was now cleared to fly in the EU, its Fokker 100 and Boeing 747 planes remained banned. The company website says the airline operates 16 Fokker 100 planes, a short-haul aircraft dating back to the 1980s, and 5 Boeing 747 jumbo jets, all older versions. Iran''s commercial airlines were badly hit by US and EU sanctions imposed over its contested nuclear programme, denying them access to crucial spare parts for their aircraft.