Long-haul LCC Norwegian said it has been unable to service a Boeing 737 MAX 8 that landed in Iran more than three weeks ago because US sanctions on the country made it difficult to obtain the required spare part.
The aircraft diverted to Shiraz in western Iran Dec. 14 after developing an engine-related problem during a flight from Dubai to Oslo, the airline said.
A replacement aircraft was dispatched to continue the journey to Norway and the 737 has remained in Iran.
“There’s a technical issue with the aircraft that requires a new part,” a Norwegian spokesman in London told ATW. “Our technicians have been in [to Iran] to investigate, but due to sanctions, that has caused a delay in getting the aircraft.
“We are working on multiple options to get the aircraft back into service but have no definite timeline for that as yet.”
The US reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—a deal between the US, the EU, China, Russia, Iran, France, Germany and the UK—which set the lifting of specific sanctions against Iran linked to civilian trade and finance against restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program development.
The renewed sanctions include a ban on the export of US-manufactured aircraft or aircraft containing more than 10% of US-originating components to Iran. Spare parts fall under the ban.
Under the US Iranian Transaction and Sanctions Regulations, “specific licenses may be issued, on a case-by-case basis, for the exportation and re-exportation of goods, services and technology to insure the safety of civil aviation and safe operation of US-origin commercial passenger aircraft.”
It is not clear whether the components required for the Norwegian aircraft meet those criteria.