Air France has resumed direct Paris-Tehran flights after an eight-year hiatus.
Air France Flight 738 took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport on Sunday, April 17, and landed at Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Alain Vidalies, France’s Minister of Transport, and a number of merchants were among the passengers on this flight and were welcomed by Iranian authorities.
Vidalies stated that he is proud of Air France’s resumption of direct flights and considers this development important for expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Air France flights to Tehran had been halted in 2008 due to nuclear sanctions. The resumption of this flight is one of the achievements of the nuclear agreement (JCPOA).
However, Air France’s return to Iran was not without controversy.
Air France initially asked its female flight attendants to wear long-sleeved jackets and pants during the flight and to cover their hair upon entering Iran and leaving the aircraft.
This decision sparked protests from France’s National Union of Flight Attendants, which stated that some of Air France’s female attendants did not want to wear a hijab.
However, Air France management reconsidered their decision and said they would give their crew the right to choose. As a result, flight crew would not be forced to travel to Iran, and a “special unit” would be formed to replace them.
Source: BBC Persian
