Rio de Janeiro, June 6 - Middle Eastern airlines should not delay placing aircraft orders because of the uncertainty and elevated jet fuel prices linked to the war in Iran, a regional vice president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Saturday.
Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA's regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East, told reporters at the association's annual summit in Rio de Janeiro that he does not anticipate the conflict or higher operating costs will prompt carriers in the region to cancel or defer commitments to planemakers.
"Deferrals are not wise because that deferral will cost you," Al-Awadhi said, pointing to extended delivery timelines for new aircraft. He highlighted that airlines in the Middle East are significant purchasers of jets from Boeing and Airbus.
Al-Awadhi noted that waiting lists for Airbus's latest-generation single-aisle models mean it could be years before an operator taking a deferred slot would actually receive aircraft. For that reason, he said carriers are likely to stick with their existing fleet renewal and expansion plans despite the present disruption.
"The plan is to continue where we're going ... even though this is a hiccup," he added.
The comments come as global airlines reduce frequencies, increase fares and raise ancillary fees to help offset rising costs. In the Middle East, some airports have been struck in incidents tied to the broader conflict, adding to operational pressures.
Al-Awadhi also expressed concern about a recent attack at a Kuwaiti airport that killed one person and caused damage to a terminal used by foreign carriers. Based on images and videos sent to him, he said the damage looked extensive and estimated that repairs would take at least a year.
"My personal guess, looking at the damage from the videos and pictures that were sent to me, it's going to take ages," he said.
He questioned whether other carriers would be able to return to operations in Kuwait while that terminal is out of service. To address the gap, he said Kuwait would either need to fast-track a portion of a new terminal's completion or permit foreign airlines to operate from terminals normally reserved for domestic carriers, such as those used by Kuwait Airways.
Al-Awadhi cautioned that resolving the issue will require difficult choices and logistical work. "It will take some tough decisions and logistics to get that sorted," he added.
The IATA official's remarks underscore the trade-offs facing carriers in the region: confront near-term cost pressures and operational risks tied to the conflict, or accept potentially lengthy delays and higher expense by pushing out aircraft deliveries.
Context provided by the speaker: Al-Awadhi delivered these observations on the sidelines of IATA's annual summit in Rio de Janeiro. He framed the advice around the combination of long manufacturer lead times for new-generation single-aisle jets and the acute, though temporary, disruptions tied to the Iran war.