Dubai - Airport chief says A380 arrival marks 'new chapter' in UAE relations

An Emirates Airline double-decker A380 jet has been making a one-off appearance in Tehran. It's been flown into the Iranian capital to mark an increase in flights from Dubai. Touching down in Tehran - the latest in aviation technology. This Emirates A380 double-decker jet has arrived in the Islamic Republic, to celebrate an increase in flights from Dubai. The airline is now running four services a day. Emirates, which first started operating flights to Iran in 1990, is not the only airline in the region flying to Tehran. Qatar Airways is among the others, operating flights from Doha. One of the 250 passengers onboard today's special A380 flight is Iranian businessman Alireza Jamili. He thinks the double-decker should become a regular feature. "Since more and more travellers are expected to come to Iran in the future, I think the A380 flights will work very well and it was a nice initiative devised by the Emirates airline," he says. Another passenger, Sama Rahmati, who is member of Iran's national Canoe Polo team, adds "I hope more of these flights will fly to Iran." Saeed Chalandari is the Director-General of Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. He says the arrival of the A380 marks a "new chapter." "Considering some comments by some groups and countries blaming the International Imam Khomeini Airport for being incapable of hosting this aircraft, this flight will definitely put an end to such arguments," he says. "Landing of this flight in this airport will certainly open a new chapter in our dealings with the country of United Arab Emirates." Emirates currently operates 52 A380s and has a further 88 on order. Until mid-2014, only 41 airports around the world were Airbus A380-ready. Major hubs such as New York, London-Heathrow, Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Singapore and Frankfurt international airports are some of them. Iran is now the third country in the Middle East that is suitable for landing the double-decker jets. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/abdaaf22937fe09c9aba7a7f310e8ef9 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork