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Norwegian Air Jet Landed in Iran 4 Weeks Ago. It Can’t Leave Yet.
I
The low-cost carrier Norwegian Air flies to dozens
of cities worldwide. Shiraz, Iran, is not usually one of them.CreditCreditPontus
Lundahl/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By Palko Karasz
·
Jan. 9, 2019
LONDON — When a technical error forced a Norwegian Air jet to land at
Shiraz Airport in Iran last month, the Boeing 737 touched down in uncharted
territory.
The airline, known for cheap long-haul flights from Europe, does not
have a base in Iran. It had never flown there before. And nearly a month after
it left Dubai, the brand-new American-made jet, delivered to Norwegian Air only
in October, was still sitting in Shiraz.
The jet appeared to be caught up in United States sanctions on Tehran’s
nuclear program that prohibit civilian aircraft sales, including services and
parts. Those came into force again last year after President Trump withdrew
from the 2015
nuclear deal that had eased punitive measures in return for verifiable pledges
of peaceful nuclear work.
A technical error in one of the engines prompted the landing on Dec.
14, a spokesman for Norwegian Air said by phone on Tuesday, and the 186
passengers and six crew members on board were unharmed. They spent the night in
Iran and flew to Oslo the next day.
But things are more complicated for the plane. The spokesman said that
Norwegian Air had never before dealt with regulations on the ground in Iran,
and that the paperwork for anything from getting engineers to spare parts was
taking longer than usual. He did not give an estimate of when the plane might
take off again.
The case has highlighted the extent of sanctions imposed on Iran’s
civilian aviation. The country’s airlines have been flying an aging fleet of
Western aircraft, some secondhand and purchased
clandestinely from third countries.
The export restrictions apply to any company that wants to sell or
resell goods to Iran that contain more than 10 percent aviation parts or
technology from the United States, said Anahita Thoms, a lawyer who specializes
in trade issues at Baker McKenzie in Düsseldorf, Germany.
That’s tight enough to cover not just American manufacturers like
Boeing, but also planes from Airbus in Europe and Sukhoi in Russia.
“There is no getting around the U.S. sanctions,” Ms. Thoms said,
referring to Norwegian Air’s issue. “Let’s assume they need a spare part and
that spare part contains more 10 percent U.S.-origin goods, or technology —
that would require a U.S. license.”
Trump sanctions blamed for Norwegian Boeing jet stranded in Iran after emergency landing
The Boeing 737 MAX jet is brand new and had been delivered to Norwegian in October (Image: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A NORWEGIAN jet has been stranded in Iran for more than three weeks after it was forced to make an emergency landing - mechanics say the parts needed to fix it are prohibited under President Donald Trump's sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation.
Pilots were forced to make an emergency landing on December 14 due to low oil pressure in one of its engines and a crew of engineers and maintenance personnel sent by Norwegian said they need vital parts to get the Boeing 737 MAX airborne again. But the aircraft, which came into difficulty on a flight from Dubai to Oslo, has been grounded on the tarmac in Shiraz Airport for nearly a month and showing no signs of moving anytime soon. Iranian mechanics are blaming Mr Trump's reimposed sanctions for the delay in bringing the parts into the isolated country, as all sales in aircrafts including parts and services are banned, according to the National.
All 192 passengers and crew members on Flight DY1933 disembarked the aircraft after arriving in the southwestern city and women were told to cover their heads, a requirement under Iranian law.
The group was whisked away to a nearby hotel where they spent the night before returning to Oslo the following day on another Norwegian jet which had been sent in especially.
The budget airline does not have any presence in Iran and those on board did not have entry rights to the country.
There had been some concern that passengers would encounter difficulty entering the US because since 2015 anyone who has visited an 'at risk' country, which includes Iran, is excluded from the US visa waiver scheme.
A source told the National that passengers did not receive stamps on their passports after landing in Shiraz Shadid Dastgheib International Airport.
One passenger told the magazine that the unscheduled landing which came an hour into their flight was due to low oil pressure in one of the turbines.
He said: "Emotions were high at the hotel when the promised evening flight didn't materialise and we were told we would spend the night in Iran.
"Many argued that we should have been put on a quick flight back to Dubai, rather than kept in Iran overnight."
On November 5 Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran, targeting the country's oil sales and several key industries such as shipping, banking and insurance.
The sanctions had been waived under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement which Mr Trump branded the "worst deal ever" during his run for president.
A spokesperson for Norwegian Air Shuttle said: "I can only say that we are working with several options to get the plane back on the wings, and right not we are waiting for our technicians to be able to service the place and to get it working."
Trump sanctions blamed for Norwegian Boeing jet stranded in Iran after emergency landing
The Boeing 737 MAX jet is brand new and had been delivered to Norwegian in October (Image: Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A NORWEGIAN jet has been stranded in Iran for more than three weeks after it was forced to make an emergency landing - mechanics say the parts needed to fix it are prohibited under President Donald Trump's sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation.
Pilots were forced to make an emergency landing on December 14 due to low oil pressure in one of its engines and a crew of engineers and maintenance personnel sent by Norwegian said they need vital parts to get the Boeing 737 MAX airborne again. But the aircraft, which came into difficulty on a flight from Dubai to Oslo, has been grounded on the tarmac in Shiraz Airport for nearly a month and showing no signs of moving anytime soon. Iranian mechanics are blaming Mr Trump's reimposed sanctions for the delay in bringing the parts into the isolated country, as all sales in aircrafts including parts and services are banned, according to the National.
All 192 passengers and crew members on Flight DY1933 disembarked the aircraft after arriving in the southwestern city and women were told to cover their heads, a requirement under Iranian law.
The group was whisked away to a nearby hotel where they spent the night before returning to Oslo the following day on another Norwegian jet which had been sent in especially.
The budget airline does not have any presence in Iran and those on board did not have entry rights to the country.
There had been some concern that passengers would encounter difficulty entering the US because since 2015 anyone who has visited an 'at risk' country, which includes Iran, is excluded from the US visa waiver scheme.
A source told the National that passengers did not receive stamps on their passports after landing in Shiraz Shadid Dastgheib International Airport.
One passenger told the magazine that the unscheduled landing which came an hour into their flight was due to low oil pressure in one of the turbines.
He said: "Emotions were high at the hotel when the promised evening flight didn't materialise and we were told we would spend the night in Iran.
"Many argued that we should have been put on a quick flight back to Dubai, rather than kept in Iran overnight."
On November 5 Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran, targeting the country's oil sales and several key industries such as shipping, banking and insurance.
The sanctions had been waived under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement which Mr Trump branded the "worst deal ever" during his run for president.
A spokesperson for Norwegian Air Shuttle said: "I can only say that we are working with several options to get the plane back on the wings, and right not we are waiting for our technicians to be able to service the place and to get it working."
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