Dubai: Dubai's first low cost airline, flydubai, launched services to its first Iraqi city and 22nd destination overall, when the airline's inaugural flight landed in Erbil on Saturday night.
FZ201 took off from Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 at 6:30pm on Saturday and landed in Iraq's third largest city, the capital of the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, three hours later.
flydubai's Chief Commercial Officer, Hamad Obaidalla, said: "Stability and prosperity is returning to Iraq and particularly the Kurdistan region, and this makes Erbil an important gateway into the country."
"Erbil has seen encouraging development in recent years with many strategic projects being implemented across infrastructure, energy and commerce. Our new direct service will further strengthen the growth of the city by offering affordable and quality air links between the UAE and Iraq," Obaidalla said.
Abdul Hadi Osman, Commercial Attache of the Republic of Iraq in Dubai, said: "The start of flydubai flights to Erbil is another indication of the continued development of economic relations between Iraq and the UAE. It highlights how the relations between both countries are rapidly improving, moving towards a brighter future."
"The flydubai service will contribute to and accelerate the turnover of the Iraqi economy," he said."We hope other, similar partnerships with the UAE will help highlight the continued building of the new Iraq."
