Air France stewardesses, furious at being ordered to wear headscarves in Tehran, say they will refuse to fly to the Iranian capital when the airline resumes the service later this month.
Female members of flight crews have been ordered to cover their hair once they disembark in Tehran and unions are demanding that the flights be made voluntary for women.
The resumption of a thrice-weekly service between Paris and Tehran, planned for April 17 after an eight-year break, follows a thaw in relations since Iran agreed to dismantle large sections of its nuclear programme.
The financially ailing French airline, which sees the resumption of Tehran flights as an “excellent” business development, pointed out that other airline staff were obliged to comply with Iranian rules. “Tolerance and respect for the customs of the countries we serve are part of the values of our company,” a spokesman said.
Stewardesses normally have a choice between a uniform with a skirt or trousers, but they have been instructed to wear a long jacket and trousers on Tehran flights.
Mr Pillet said flight crews were prepared to wear headscarves in Iran when out of uniform, but objected to being ordered to wear them as part of their uniform.
Unions want Tehran flights to be made voluntary without penalties for staff, deductions from wages or consequences for their careers.
Another union representing flight crews, UNAC, has written to the minister for women’s rights and families, Laurence Rossignol, complaining about the headscarf order.
Ms Rossignol, who describes herself as “a feminist with a modern vision of the family”, was herself embroiled in a row over headscarves last month prompted by Marks and Spencer’s decision to sell the burkini, or full body swimsuit. Women who wear veils or Islamic headscarves, she said, were like “negroes who supported slavery”.
Breaking news…French women have larger testicles than French men.
If the law says you have to do this in Iranian airspace, what is the issue? I’d be more worried about being groped by Mo.
Air France should hire muslim stewardesses in France, then fire them in Iran. Hire, fire, repeat.
Interesting that employees of a company that offers a service invented in the 20th century have to dress per 8th-century protocols.
Hire goats wearing little French Maid costumes – problem solved.
Fuck Iran. The company’s name is “Air France” not “Air Iran.”
Seeing as Iran never invented flight, or anything else for that matter, (with the possible exception of “flying carpets”) you’d think they’d be happy to have some civilized nation fly for them.
izlamo delenda est …
It’s a pretty pathetic line to be drawn when your country has a couple dozen no-go zones, filthy “praying” moslims block Parisian streets repeatedly throughout the day, home grown FRENCH moslims are mass murdering and the government has open borders.
But they’ll be damned if they have to wear scarfs.
I know for a fact that there are some pretty tough French men in their military. I wonder when(or if) they’ll ever walk the walk of their great ancestors? Just a handful of these men could put the fear of God into these savages.
The company’s correct response would be: “Sorry, but we are civilized people. We DO NOT fly to countries inhabited by psychotic muslim savages, no matter how much the president of the United States loves them.”
Wake me when the West insists that these barbarians make the concessions,
e.g. “there will be NO beheadings on this, or any other Air France flights.”