Dubai: After a 20-year interval, Lufthansa is resuming flights to Iraq. On April 25, Germany's largest carrier will launch services from Frankfurt to the city of Erbil in northern Iraq. Lufthansa customers will have a choice of four flights per week on this new route.
Lufthansa will operate the four-and-a-half hour flight with an Airbus A319 with 132 seats in Business and Economy classes.
With the resumption of flights to Iraq, Lufthansa is continuing to expand its route network in the Middle East and will then offer 100 flights per week to 15 destinations in 12 countries.
Erbil has been served since 2006 from Vienna by Austrian Airlines, which flies under the Lufthansa Group banner. This flight is operated on a codeshare basis with Lufthansa. The new Lufthansa service will give customers a choice of nine flights per week to Erbil.
Demand
The demand for flights to Iraq is growing amid signs of an economic recovery as foreign firms begin to set up operations in the country.
With a population of one million, Erbil (also spelled Arbil) is the fourth-largest city in Iraq and has a rich history spanning several thousand years. The economy in this region is growing vigorously. Numerous diplomatic and commercial representations, organisations and foreign companies have been set up in northern Iraq. Erbil International Airport has recently been expanded and has a modern passenger terminal.
Lufthansa also intends to resume flights this summer to the Iraqi capital Baghdad and is currently making necessary preparations to do so.
