HAMBURG, Germany, July 14 (UPI) -- Finding substitute fuel suppliers for Iran Air flights in Europe could take some time to resolve, top Iranian airline officials said in Germany.
The European Union announced last week it was closing its airspace to most Iran Air flights after an audit revealed safety issues with Iran's passenger fleet.
British oil company BP, meanwhile, said it halted sales of aviation fuel to Iran after Washington passed unilateral sanctions targeting the Iranian energy sector.
Mohammad Reza Rajabi, the head Iran Air at the Hamburg airport, said he needed alternatives in the face of economic pressures.
"Finding a substitute for BP to provide Iranian passenger planes with fuel in Hamburg airport will take some time," he was quoted in the official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying
Royal Dutch Shell is honoring its commitments to Iran for the duration of existing contracts while French energy company Total said it halted sales to Iran but didn't specify if that applied to Iranian transactions outside of the country.
