First EU airline flight in 35 years lands in Baghdad

Baghdad: Iraq’s transport ministry said Tuesday that a flight operated by Greece’s Aegean Airlines had been the first European aircraft in 35 years to land at Baghdad’s international airport.

In a statement, the ministry said the arrival signalled “Iraq’s return to the European aviation map” and ushered in “a new phase of recovery for Iraq’s aviation sector”.

European airlines have not operated direct flights to Baghdad International Airport for security reasons since the early 1990s, when Iraq’s long-time ruler Saddam Hussein invaded neighbouring Kuwait.

Hussein was toppled by the US-led invasion in 2003, which was followed by a civil war, sectarian violence and the emergence of armed jihadist factions.

But, after decades of turmoil, Iraq has recently begun to regain a sense of stability and the government is striving to attract foreign investment to bolster the country’s economy.

The Baghdad-Athens-Baghdad route will operate two flights a week with the possibility of adding more depending on demand, the ministry said.

Earlier this year, the Greek carrier started flights to Erbil, the capital of the northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which presents itself as a relative oasis of stability in volatile Iraq.