IA | Iraqi Airways

[hkskyline]

Iraqi Airways Starts Flights To Basra; Eyes Expanded Svc
4 June 2005

BASRA, Iraq (AP)--Iraqi Airways inaugurated a route from Baghdad to the southern city of Basra on Saturday, the first of what the government's transport minister said would be an ambitious expansion plan.

Salam al-Maliki said the airline would fly to Basra, 550 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, four times a week and next week resume flights to northern Irbil and Sulaimaniyah. By the middle of the month, it hopes to add routes to Turkey, Lebanon, Cairo, Dubai, Kuwait and Iran.

"There is a full security plan to keep the airports safe, and this plan is being implemented in Baghdad," he said.

In Baghdad, aircraft must use a steep corkscrew landing that essentially entails diving from 15,00 feet to the airport to avoid anti-aircraft missiles that could be fired by insurgents. The main highway from Baghdad to the airport is so dangerous and violence-prone it has been nicknamed by locals as the "street of death." A suicide bomber this week attacked the main checkpoint to the airport, wounding at least 15 Iraqis, including several Iraqi Airways employees.

Al-Maliki said the government would try to fix the price of tickets to Basra at $50 and $75-$95 for other domestic destinations.

Iraqi Airways resumed international flights last September for the first time in 14 years, with flights to Amman, in neighboring Jordan and to the Syrian capital of Damascus.

[EdZed]

Unfortunetely, I believe this has a very slight chance of working out, within a week one of these planes will be attacked in some form (hijacking, SAM, airport getting bombed) Security will be definitely be very important for this to work, which does have the potential to work out. Also what planes will they be using?

This isn't going to work out whilst the insurgency continues. After seeing new al Qaeda training camps, it's not looking too rosy in the garden. The inaugural flight only managed to have I think 44 people on board, all of which were airline representatives or Government officials.

[Giorgio]

Silly idea. Theres a risk of anti-aircraft missiles. Who will fly? seriously...

[Cheese Mmmmmmmmmmmm]

Originally Posted by EdZed

What planes will they be using?

Last I heard they're overhauling the five remaining aircraft in their fleet: Two Boeing 747-200s and three Boeing 727-200s, all of which were in the worst possible condition after sitting idle in the desert for a decade.

[TallBox]

There are two 707s in Iraqi Airways colours that I saw at Amman airport in 2003.... wonder if they're useful at all.

[PlaneMad]

I guess air travel is a LOT safer than travelling in the highways, so i dont doubt the demand for this, but the safety factor is still dangerously low by aviation standards.

How do you find an Iraqi airport? follow the line of militants with RPGs.

[hkskyline]

Air ticket prices slashed for Iraqis
2 November 2009
Agence France Presse

Iraq's transport minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail on Monday ordered a 15 percent cut in the price of tickets on Iraqi Airways for the country's own nationals, state television reported.

The cuts follow reductions of between 50 and 85 dollars announced last month on tickets for the national airline.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had previously requested "discounts on tickets to encourage Iraqis to travel, especially since the company made such good profits" recently, according to the television report.

[Kubajzo]

I don't think this will work out either. I mean come on! Show me someone who's gonna fly under these circumstances, would you people? I definitely wouldn't.

[Get Smart]

for every iraqi passenger plane, there needs to be 2 fighter plane's as body guards, no thanks

[KB]

Originally Posted by Kubajzo

I don't think this will work out either. I mean come on! Show me someone who's gonna fly under these circumstances, would you people? I definitely wouldn't.

If the only alternative is the "street of death" and I must go to Basra from Baghdad, I guess I would prefer the plane.

[FM 2258]

Originally Posted by KB

If the only alternative is the "street of death" and I must go to Basra from Baghdad, I guess I would prefer the plane.

Yeah, good point. I'd rather fly than take those dangerous highways across the country. Iraqi Airways should get some nice 737-800's and equip them with the defense mechanisms El Al or Air Force 1 uses.

[Manazir]

Honestly, i dont think Iraq is yet that safe for air travel! If there was any way, I would suggest Erbil Airport to be used. its much safer there (in Kurdistan)

[GlasgowMan]

I just went on the Iraqi Airways website ( http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk/en/main.asp ) and it looks like they are planning flights from Baghdad to Athens and London.

[hkskyline]

Iraq to resume Baghdad-Paris flights after 20 yrs

BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Iraq's national airline plans to resume direct flights between Baghdad and Paris after 20 years, the government said on Monday, prompted by demand following a drop in violence levels and a rise in investor interest.

State-owned Iraqi Airways will sign an agreement with French authorities in mid-November to resume weekly flights between Baghdad and Paris, Iraq's cabinet said in a statement.

More airlines are opening routes into Iraq after a fall in violence over the past 18 months, despite the hazards of air travel into a country where bombings and attacks remain common.

Flights from Baghdad to other Middle Eastern destinations have jumped in recent years, and airlines have slowly begun opening up direct routes to European destinations.

Iraqi Airways recently began direct flights to Stockholm, and is eyeing direct flights to Germany as its next destination, an airline official said.

[da_scotty]

and not only that!

Is says New York as well!!!

[hkskyline]

Iraq says British court lets Iraqi airline chief leave despite airplanes dispute with Kuwait
6 May 2010

BAGHDAD (AP) - The head of Iraqi Airways can now leave Britain after being held there for more than a week over a two-decade-old dispute with Kuwait, Iraq's Transportation Ministry said Thursday.

A British court announced on Thursday that the airline chief, Kifah Jabar Hassan, had his passport returned and was now free to leave Britain, the ministry said.

When Iraq Airways first flight to London in 20 years landed last month, lawyers representing Kuwait Airways served a court order requiring the Iraqis to pay $1.2 billion for dispute dating to the 1990 Iraqi invasion.

The order called for the freezing of Iraqi Airways' assets, and required the carrier's head to stay in order to provide a statement of those assets.

According to the ministry, the lawyers also attempted to confiscate the airplane that made the maiden flight to London, but were unable to do so when it turned out it was chartered from a Swedish company and not owned by Iraqi Airways.

Kuwait is demanding the $1.2 billion reparations from Iraqi Airways for the alleged theft of 10 airplanes and millions of dollars worth of spare parts during the invasion and the seven-month occupation.

The Transportation Ministry says Iraq has repeatedly called for talks over the case so it could be solved in a "friendly way," but the Kuwaitis have not responded.

The case is still being played out in Britain and has been described as the longest running commercial case in the history of British courts.

Kuwait has repeatedly attempted to seize airplanes purchased by Iraq as compensation, as it did in 2008, when it secured a court order to take 10 planes ordered by Iraqi Airways from Canada's Bombardier. The case is under appeal.

[GTR66]

god bless those who be flying on this airline in to Baghdad.

[jemurillo0705]

no way , i´ll never feel safe in those crafts

[MKTJ]

Oh come on, It's not as bad as you think!
Actually I flew on Iraqi airways last summer to Baghdad and It wasn't bad at all.