Iranian planes banned from refuelling in countries that have economic ties with the U.S. are dodging the sanctions by filling up at a privately owned airport in Kent. The Iran Air flights are allowed to land at Heathrow however they are not able to refuel for the journey home at any airport that has trade links with the U.S.
Owners of the UK’s smallest airport, in Manston, Kent – a former RAF base in the Second World war- have struck up a deal to supply the planes that carry up to 266 passengers with the fuel they need.
Owned by New Zealand company Infratil, Manston airport have insisted that the arrangement does not breach the economic sanctions imposed by the U.S..
A spokesman told the Sunday Express: ‘We are complying with all the regulations laid down by the Civil Aviation Authority. There is no reason why we shouldn’t do it.
‘As a small airport we have to do business where we can. We have flight from Iran Air refuelling on a regular basis.’
Infratil which also earns an airport in Glasgow made a loss of £6million last year.
The sanctions which affect Western Europe were imposed over safety after fears that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.
Oil giants BP and Shell are refusing to service Iranian jets at Heathrow while the UK has announced that all credit and financial institutions to cease trading with Iran.
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority told the newspaper: ‘We don’t get involved in the politics of whether it is right for the planes to land there because of sanctions in place in the UK.’
(Source: Daily Mail UK)
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2 Responses
And yet more proof how sanctions are useless. There’s always a way around it.
Isn’t Kent in the UK? Just because it’s smaller than Heathrow, it’s still in England.
This airport is being very penny wise and pound foolish. They say they have to take whatever business comes their way, but by allowing Iran to continue to operate, they could be harming themselves and the rest of us in the long run.