Dubai International airport is still allowing Iranian passenger planes to refuel at the airport.

“Dubai Airports confirms that Iranian airlines operating in and out of Dubai International continue to be refuelled,” says a spokesman at Dubai Airports Company.

In June, the US imposed a further round of sanctions on Iran aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to finance and develop its nuclear programme. The sanctions ban the export of gas and petroleum products to Iran.

Airports in the UK and Germany have since refused to allow Iranian passenger planes to refuel.

This is mainly affecting Iran Air and Mahan Air, which are now having to make stopovers in other countries especially on routes to Europe, driving up costs.

The government is scheduled to privatise 60 per cent of Iran Air in the current Iranian year ending 21 March 2011 (MEED 25:5:10).

The Iranian Privatisation Organisation (IPO) will sell off the airline’s sales, catering, flight handling, supply, cabin crew and maintenance divisions as subsidiaries. Each unit will then be floated on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).

The Iranian government also plans to fully privatise Iran Air’s subsidiary carrier Iran AirTours under its privatisation programme.