Air France crew can refuse Iran route in headscarf row

Air France's female flight attendants will be allowed to refuse to fly on the company's new route to Iran, the company has decided after several crew members opposed an order to wear a headscarf in Iran.

Air France will fly to Tehran three times a week from April 17.

The company will introduce an exception so that employees who do not want to work on the route will be re-assigned on other destinations with no sanctions, the Guardian reported.

A note sent to female cabin crew members requires them to wear a headscarf on their arrival in Tehran.

They must also wear the uniform's long-sleeved jacket and trousers rather than a knee-length dress.

The rule is already in place when flying to destinations such as Saudi Arabia.

The crew unions, however, wanted the Tehran flights to be staffed on a voluntary basis and an agreement that any staff who refuses to fly to Iran because of the headscarf rule would not have their pay deducted.

Air France suspended flights to Iran in 2008 but is resuming the service after international sanctions imposed over Tehran's nuclear programme were lifted.