Emirates resumes flights to Iran

Emirates resumed flights to the Iranian capital of Tehran on Friday after a five-month break due to shutdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Associated Press has reported. Emirates plans to have one flight per day to Tehran-Dubai-Tehran with a Boeing 777 jetliner.

The 16 passengers on the Emirates flight from Dubai passed through a disinfection tunnel and had their body temperature checked upon arrival at Tehran’s airport.

In the departures lounge, masked outgoing passengers lined up at the Emirates check-in counter while an airport worker disinfected dozens of luggage trolleys.

The United Arab Emirates was among a list of countries that suspended all air links with Iran in February, along with nearby Armenia, Iraq, Kuwait and Turkey. The UAE is a key international transit route for Iranians and had daily flights to Iran.

Iran, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, has been scrambling to contain the pandemic since it reported its first two COVID-19 deaths in February.

The outbreak in Iran has killed at least 13,400 people amid 264,561 confirmed cases.