Iran finalizes 100-jet deal with Airbus, first delivery in January

Iran has finalised an agreement with Airbus to acquire 100 jetliners, the first of which is tentatively expected to be delivered in mid-January, a senior official said on Monday.

The deal, split roughly equally between narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, will be signed in coming days, possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday, Deputy Roads and Urban Development Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan told Reuters.

Under the agreement, Airbus will supply four types of aircraft: its medium-haul A320 and A321 aircraft and the long-haul A330 and A350, he said, in remarks confirming Iran's decision to drop the A380 from a draft deal signed in January.

Iran, which last week finalised a deal with Boeing for 80 jets, has so far reached agreements with foreign leasing firms to finance a total of 77 aircraft, including 42 from Airbus and 35 from Boeing, Kashan said in a telephone interview.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Michael Perry)