Iraqi Airlines

Iraqi Airlines is better known as Iraqi Airways. Iraqi Airways is the oldest airline in the Middle East beginning back in 1946. Iraqi Airways continued to operate with 17 airplanes until Iraq invaded Kuwait.

After the invasion, the United Nations would not allow them to operate again. The planes were moved to secret places mostly in Jordan.

For the most part, Iraqi Airlines did not exist in the 1990's. There were United Nations sanctions and United States no fly zones that prevented them from flying.

Today they are making a comeback. They have about five domestic flights and they fly to six other countries. These countries are Jordan, Bahrain, Dubai, Syria, Damascus and Lebanon.

On March 31, 2008, Iraqi Airways placed an order worth $5.5 billion with Boeing for new planes.

In its best years, this airline used to fly to 41 countries. Click here to see where they used to fly.

If you have business in Iraq and need to fly there, the best route I suggest is to go through Dubai.

Before flying to Iraq, you will need an Iraqi Visa.

For more information and to make reservations you can go to Iraqi Airways Online if you understand Arabic. For English, click here.

The Iraq airline is operated primarily out of Baghdad International Airport. Even though security is tight around the airport and there have been no recent incidents, the airplanes still take off and land at a quick speed. If you are not prepared for this it can be uncomfortable for a few minutes.

However, if you are used to riding roller coasters then you will be okay. It is not quite as bad as riding a roller coaster. The maneuver they used is referred to as the “cork screw.” It calls for making tight circles, quickly while descending and taking off. This is so insurgents have a harder time hitting a plane with a missile. To date though, there have been no planes hit or even fired at that I am aware of. Makes you wonder who is riding on the plane with you, doesn’t it?

It looks like Iraqi Airlines is planning on having direct flights to London, China and New York in the days ahead. Soon I hope Iraq will settle down and the religious world can come and start visiting the sites where the Garden of Eden and other biblical sites existed.

Good luck on your travels.