Iran-Int'l Flights/Resumption
Iran-Int'l Flights/Resumption
Dateline : April 25, 2026
Location : Iran
Duration : 1'52
Tehran, Iran - April 25, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
1. Various of people at Imam Khomeini International Airport; airport staff working, passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
2. Screen showing flight information
3. Various of passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed in English) Narges (full name not given):
"I am traveling to Istanbul to visit my daughter. She is a student. It has been very difficult. I couldn't stay in touch with her because we didn't have internet. I'm very happy that flights have resumed."
5. Various of passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed in English) Abolfazl (full name not given):
"This is the first flight that allows us to finally send our child to Frankfurt. She is a student. We tried once or twice to reach Frankfurt by land through Ankara, but we were stuck for nearly 50 days. We are very happy now."
7. Various of passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed in English) Hassan (full name not given):
"We are worried because of the war. We heard some thuds in Tehran a few nights ago. No one knows what will happen."
9. Various of passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
10. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed in English) Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO, Imam Khomeini Airport City:
"Flights to Beijing and other Chinese cities have long been a major part of this airport's schedule and remain so. Cargo flights are definitely operating. Passenger flights, as I mentioned, are being planned for implementation."
11. Various of passengers waiting in lines, going through check-in procedures
Iran's Imam Khomeini International Airport resumed limited international passenger flights on Saturday after more than 50 days of suspension, with passenger traffic expected to recover gradually as routes reopen in phases.
Destinations including Medina in Saudi Arabia, Muscat in Oman and Istanbul in Türkiye were among the first to reopen, as travelers took to the skies for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets across several countries in the region.
For many passengers, the reopening brought long-awaited reunions with loved ones abroad.
"I am traveling to Istanbul to visit my daughter. She is a student. It has been very difficult. I couldn't stay in touch with her because we didn't have internet. I'm very happy that flights have resumed," said Narges, a passenger at the airport.
Others said the suspension had forced them to attempt difficult overland journeys, only to remain stuck for weeks.
"This is the first flight that allows us to finally send our child to Frankfurt. She is a student. We tried once or twice to reach Frankfurt by land through Ankara, but we were stuck for nearly 50 days. We are very happy now," said Abolfazl, a passenger.
Some travelers remained concerned, saying the ceasefire between the United States and Iran felt fragile.
"We are worried because of the war. We heard some thuds in Tehran a few nights ago. No one knows what will happen," said a passenger who gave his name as Hassan.
Airport officials said only a handful of destinations were currently available, but the gradual return of international flights marks a cautious step toward normalization, with key international routes still in the planning stage.
"Flights to Beijing and other Chinese cities have long been a major part of this airport's schedule and remain so. Cargo flights are definitely operating. Passenger flights, as I mentioned, are being planned for implementation," said Ramin Kashef Azar, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City.
ID : 8476485
Published : 2026-04-26 00:36
Last Modified : 2026-04-26 17:30:13
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
More