Iraqi Airways receives Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Baghdad
Iraqi Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Photo: Boeing
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Airways celebrated this week the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a special event in Baghdad to welcome the flag carrier’s first new-technology widebody aircraft in many years, Business Traveller News reported.
The 787-8 arrived at Baghdad International Airport (BGW) a few days ago following a 13-hour delivery flight overnight from Charleston International Airport in North Charleston, South Carolina, the United States, according to Simple Flying News.
With this delivery, Iraqi Airways received the first of 10 airplanes ordered from the aircraft industry company to profitably develop its network and connect Iraq to more international destinations.
Business Traveller News explained that the new airplane comes in a dual-class configuration, with 1-2-1 flatbed seating in business class and a nine-abreast configuration in economy.
The US Ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, joined the Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muheibis, to celebrate the arrival of Iraqi Airways’ first Boeing Dreamliner.
Additional Dreamliners are expected to arrive in Iraq in the coming months, according to a statement issued by the US embassy in Baghdad.
“This is the arrival of the first Dreamliner manufactured by Boeing. The 787 will be introduced to the Iraqi Airways fleet,” the US Ambassador stated.
“As the United States, we are really proud of having been able to get a US company to introduce upgrades to the Iraqi Airways capabilities and to really demonstrate that Iraq is open for business and is open for business in the global economy with the United States as a very important partner,” said Romanowski.
Iraqi Airways currently serves more than 50 destinations from Baghdad and is expanding and renewing its fleet to support the anticipated increase in international business and leisure travel to and from the country, according to Business Traveller News.
Iraq is seeing increased stability and economic growth, with the country’s annual gross domestic product growth rate expected to reach seven percent by the end of 2023, Business Traveller News mentioned.
Additionally, Iraqi Airways is working on developing its fleet because, according to reports, air traffic in the Middle East is witnessing a more than 40 percent increase compared to 2022.