Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Monday, 6 December 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 December 2010. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 13 December 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iran: Aviation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of (a) Austria and (b) Germany on permission for refuelling of Iranian planes; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The UK recently worked closely with European partners to adopt the EU's strongest ever sanctions package against Iran. While we do not encourage trade with Iran, these sanctions do not prohibit the sale of aviation fuel to Iranian airlines. The Government have written to fuel providers in the UK to clarify this fact. However, some companies in Europe have taken the commercial decision to stop providing fuel to Iranian airlines in line with their interpretation of US sanctions.

Secondary information