Originally Posted by Desdi

Again a lot of common misconceptions here in the US about EK. EK and DXB is a massive global connection operation but with a space/runway issue. Think of the ATL connection hub but on a global scale (and no ATL, nor any US hub is ideal for truly global connections). Like ATL 80% of the traffic are just connecting there. The airport is optimized as such, with transit passengers facilities so no nationality even needs a transfer visa to pass through there because they never have to go through customs. When you see that EK 777 on the ramp in a US airport somewhere, the common natural thought is that that’s EK largest airplane, no that’s it’s smallest. So that 777 from Tehran was normally full of connecting passengers to LAX, JFK, ORD, LHR, SYD, CDG and probably 50 other points that you’ve never heard of with their connections timed almost all less than 2 hours on the ground. As you can see from my previous posts I have no love lost for the place, but it is an incredibly impressive operation. Also with the massive belly holds on all those passenger widebodies and a handful of 777Fs it’s also the second largest cargo airline in the world.

As for your specific questions, I don’t know what map you are looking at but Tehran is just under a 2 hour flight, Those were just turnaround flights, they would never ask for passports, but they knew who was who and all of us were treated with much more respect by airport staff than you normally see in the US. I would be far less concerned having to overnight in Iran then Detroit. The shortest were 30 min flts to Muscat and Bahrain, again “feeding the hub”.