Female Air France crew can opt out of Iran flights over headscarf objections

Christophe Ena/AP

Air France crew can elect to skip flights to Iran.

Female Air France crew members who aren't on board with covering their heads can now opt out of working flights to Tehran.

Iranian law demands that all women must cover their hair in public places, so the airline initially announced female flight attendants and pilots would have to wear headscarves and loose clothing when service from Paris to Tehran resumes ^[1] later this month.

While this obligation does not apply during the flight, and other international airlines serving Iran already follow the same rule while disembarking, Air France's female flight attendants chafed at being forced to don a hijab.

This partly stems from France's complicated relationship with religious headgear. Headscarves are banned in French state schools and offices, and it is illegal to wear a full Muslim veil in public.

So Air France reps reached a compromise with flight crew unions on Monday, and resolved to let female flight attendants and pilots switch flights without repercussions if they are assigned to the Tehran route.

"If, for personal reasons, they don't want to wear the headscarf when they leave the plane, they would be reassigned to another destination," Gilles Gateau, Air France's human resources director, told the BBC ^[2].

TREVOR COLLENS/AFP/Getty Images

Air France is resuming flights to Tehran this month, but female flight attendants balked at having to cover their heads when disembarking.

UNAC, one of the unions representing the flight crew, shared a statement ^[3] saying, "While we regret not having been heard earlier, we are delighted to have convinced Mr. Gateau of the legitimacy of our action."

Air France is resuming flight service to Tehran on April 17 after an eight-year hiatus.

It is making the routes voluntary to respect "the personal values of each Air France female crew member," according to a statement released by the airline ^[4].

It added, "Tolerance and respect for the cultures and customs in the countries served by the airline are part of the fundamental values of Air France and its staff."