Transport Ministry sets date to resume flights to Malaysia
Iraqi Airway’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Photo: Boeing
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Friday that it had obtained the required approvals to resume Iraqi Airway’s direct flights between Iraq and Malaysia.
The Transport Ministry issued a statement mentioning that Iraq’s national carrier intends to resume direct flights between Baghdad and Kuala Lumpur at the beginning of February, indicating that one flight will be operated every week in the first stage.
The Director General of Iraqi Airways, Manaf Abdel-Monem, said that the company will use Boeing 787 Dreamliners to operate its flights to Kuala Lumpur, adding that these planes will provide a luxurious travel experience.
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’s national carrier 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.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) confirmed last July that committing to international standards will help lift the ban imposed by the European Union (EU) on Iraqi Airways, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The President of the ICAA, Imad Al-Asadi, met in July with a delegation from the EU at Baghdad International Airport, where both sides discussed work mechanisms and possible coordination to develop the civil aviation sector in Iraq.
The ICAA President indicated at that time the authority’s commitment to international standards and that its continuous communication with EU officials will contribute to lifting the European ban imposed on Iraqi Airways.