The several cancellations of Iran Air flights in recent days, including Tehran-Mashhad and Tehran-Bushehr flights, have led to passenger frustration at the airport. A long delay in the plane bound from Baghdad to Tehran was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Anger built up after the poor passengers had to endure a 13-hour delay when departing from Tehran, only to go through another 20-hour delay on the return trip to Tehran. But this time the irate passengers decided to teach Iran Air officials a lesson by simply refusing to deplane in protest after its landing at the Imam Khomeini International Airport.
As Alef news website reported, Iran Air officials who were at their wits’ end pacified the indignant passengers through compensatory measures. In an unprecedented act, each passenger was granted a round ticket to the city of Mashhad – a religious tourist destination – before they finally consented to leave the aircraft.
The protest might set a new precedent for passengers who are no strangers to oft repeated flight delays and cancellations in the country.
