European aircraft manufacturer Airbus says that two Iranian airlines have committed to buying 73 planes in a last-minute flurry of deals at the Paris Air Show.
Iranian domestic carrier Zagros Airlines agreed on June 22 to buy 20 Airbus A320neo jets and eight A330neo aircraft, while privatized Iran Airtour signed up for 45 A320neos.
Iran has ordered more than 200 planes since international sanctions against the country were lifted last year in return for curbs on the country's nuclear activities.
IranAir has ordered 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from U.S. rival Boeing, and 20 ATR turboprops, but implementing the deals has been hampered by uncertainty over financing.
Boeing has also signed a deal for 30 737 MAX jets with Iran's Aseman Airlines, which is managed as a private company and owned by Iran's civil-service pension foundation.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer and plane-making president Fabrice Bregier said he did not believe the deals were related to political issues.
The company said the deals were contingent upon all necessary approvals, including from the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Airbus sales chief John Leahy said he expected the U.S. approvals within the next couple of months.