IRAN: Iran Air Now Has First Female CEO, Farzaneh Sharafbafi

Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Engineering, Abbas Akhundias has named the Ex-Director of Iran Air’s Research Department, Farzaneh Sharafbafi as CEO of Iran Air.

The administration of the recently re-elected Iran President, Hassan Rouhani, broke with Islamic tradition by appointing many women to management positions.

This is the first time a female has been appointed to this position since Iran Air started operations in the 1940's.

Farzaneh Sharafbafi was Iran’s first woman to earn a PhD in Aerospace. She also led several aviation projects and taught various aerospace courses at the Amir Kabir University of Technology and Shahid Sattari University of Aeronautical Engineering.

The news comes after Iran has agreed to purchase 30 737 MAX aircraft for $3.0 billion; the airline’s second major aviation deal under reduced sanctions.

Akhundias said Sharafbafi should develop the airline’s fleet and its equipment, pushing Iran Air to compete at regional and international levels, maintaining the safety and security standards of the carrier.

Developing Iran Air’s fleet may not be a challenge, Iran Air already has several billion-dollar deals with different aircraft manufacturers for a fleet renewal, with orders placed for 20 ATR, 80 Boeing, and 112 Airbus.

The carrier already received 7 new aircraft, four ATR 72-600 and three Airbus jets.

The first Boeing aircraft should be delivered by April 2018.

Iran Air’s previous CEO Farhad Parvaresh, said on June that the plan calls for us to receive another five ATRs until the end of 2017, starting in August or September, and a further eleven in 2018, bringing it to the total 20 we ordered.

From Airbus, we hope to receive two A320s by the end of the year. We are intentionally building up the new fleet slowly because we have to manage the arrivals and train pilots and technicians.

We have done it for the A321 and the A330s while the ATR training is still in progress.

I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW ASSIGNMENT Madam Farzaneh Sharafbafi



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