The Islamic Republic has been complaining for a long time about the refusal of European countries, especially Britain, to refuel Iran Air aircraft. But it turns out that Iran Air planes flying to Britain are now getting their fuel in England; they just fly to one of England's tiniest airfields for a full fuel supply.
The Sunday Times of London reported this week that after Iran Air flights leave London's Heathrow Airport, they make a quick 80-mile hop to the virtually deserted Kent International Airport at Manston. Two fuel trucks bearing the insignia of Manston airport quickly arrive to make sure the jet has enough fuel for the six-hour flight home.
The newspaper reported that for the past three months the regular Iran Air flights have taken a 40-minute diversion from Heathrow to the dimly-lit airfield three times a week. It said flights from Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam also make the detour to Manston for a full refueling.
Reporters watched last Thursday as the Airbus 300-600, flight number IR170, landed at 5:40 p.m. and taxied to an area near the tiny terminal building. The Sunday Times said it remained on the ground for an hour as the fuel was delivered and officials were paid for the transaction.
Officials in Tehran like to say that American sanctions enforcers have stopped refuelings in Europe. Actually, however, the U.S. sanctions law exempts small transactions like those to refuel a plane. But the law limiting refined fuel sales to Iran took effect just weeks after the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago.
BP was apparently fearful of the fury of the American public if they learned BP was refueling Iranian planes, so they stopped the business. That got so much media attention that other firms in Europe ended service to Iran Air one-by-one for fear of losing much more business in the United States.
But the tiny Manston airport is privately owned and does no U.S. business. The Sunday Times said Manston Airport, is owned by a loss-making New Zealand company, Infratil, and is struggling to survive.
A spokesman for the airport said, "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 businesswhere we can. We have flights from Iran Air refueling on a regular basis."
The Iran Air planes are able to land safely at Manston, an RAF base during the Second World War, because of its long runway.
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