Baghdad airport recorded the largest number of flights in its history

Baghdad airport recorded the largest number of flights in its history

Created Tuesday, 02 April / April 2013 09:25

BAGHDAD / Omar

Could not have been more optimistic in Iraq, is expected to record the Baghdad International Airport, in these circumstances the complex political and security, 125 trip, between landing and take off, in a single day.

The civil aviation authorities in Iraq, the Baghdad International Airport, the largest airport Iraq, record Wednesday .125 trip, a number, it is probably the biggest, in the history of this airport, which suffers major problems, at the level of infrastructure and services aircraft and passengers.

Iraq has seen a series of attacks this month, amid a severe political crisis between the Shiite-led government, and the Sunnis and the Kurds, who are demanding a greater role in power.

During the year 2006, at the height of the civil war in Iraq, the Baghdad airport, score more than 4 flights during the day, but those who support it now, expect a significant increase in aircraft movements during the next few months, part of a plan for the advancement of commercial aviation, and maximizing revenue in country that relies about 92% of its annual budget on oil money.

And experienced commercial air traffic in Iraq, a significant improvement over the past two years, after the relative security and stability that has been achieved in the country. And seeking Iraqi Airways, the national carrier in the country, to fly towards new destinations, even if Baghdad airport was the target.

During this month, and reached the first flight to calculate the Iraqi Airways arriving from Britain to Sulaymaniyah International Airport in the Kurdistan region after a hiatus of more than 23 years.

The public information officer at the airport, Dana Mohammed Said, “after stop flights between Iraq and the European countries over twenty-three years, arrived on the eighth of this month the first flight arriving from London to Sulaimaniya airport international, by Iraqi Airways” .

The Iraqi Airways, suspended its flights to a large number of European countries, after Kuwait filed a lawsuit for damages suffered by the aircraft as a result of the Iraqi invasion in 1990, and demanded payment of one billion and 200 million dollars for Kuwait Airways.

But Iraq, succeeded earlier this year, in the judicial settlement of the dispute, after the payment of Kuwait $ 500 million. The first flight came to Iraqi Airways to Kuwait on 27 February last step of actual application of the agreement the two countries.

The director General of the Civil Aviation Authority in Iraq, Captain Nasser Al-Bader, the commercial air transport in Iraq was working principle of leasing of aircraft because of the lawsuit filed by Kuwait against Iraq. He says that “Iraq’s inability to purchase modern aircraft has led to a deterioration of commercial air traffic.” He says that “the difficult circumstances experienced by Iraq after 2003 in terms of security conditions did not allow us to hire modern aircraft because companies that own these planes fears risk بطائراتها in Iraq.”

He says, “We waited until the case solved Kuwait and is now over judicial settlement of the problem, and that is what allowed us to purchase aircraft Fbaherna so.” Bader adds, “We bought modern Airbus because we could not get a modern Boeing.” He says, “We bought planes from German and Austrian companies damaged by the financial crisis that hit the world.” Bader says, “and we have received so far 6 modern aircraft and we are waiting for other Airbus aircraft and a second jumbo making 2002 an updated been purchased from a Malaysian company.”

Bader says that “the total aircraft owned Iraq currently are 5 of Airbus and one Boeing, in addition to the 5 aircraft was owned by the pilgrimage was finally converted a wholly owned subsidiary of the airline.” He adds, “We also have 6 C-NRG aircraft owned by the Ministry of Finance Stúl ownership to Iraqi Airways also for a total of 17 aircraft.” He says, “We are waiting for two more planes will arrive mid-year, and we have two Majrtan of a Turkish company, and this means that the fleet of Iraqi Airways has now 21 aircraft, which is happening for the first time in the history of the company since its inception.”

Bader says that there are “300 flights arrive and depart Iraq a week, a figure that has risen a lot in recent times.” Iraq, he says, obtain, specific amounts for ground and maintenance for each flight. He says, “We consider this number of trips a little, but we are working on the development of our capabilities.”

Bader says that “500 aircraft reflect Iraq’s airspace every day, and Nsthsal amount of $ 375 each trip.” He adds that “many companies ask us over permissions, because Iraq’s airspace an ideal connecting points.”

Iraqi Airways plans, opening up new markets in the region. The Regional Director of Iraqi Airways in Egypt and North Africa, Caesar Hashemi, said that the cooperation between the Iraqi Airways and its Egyptian counterpart “entered into the application level privileged.” But he did not disclose the details of this cooperation.

And a few days ago, Qatar Airways has announced, its intention to conduct regular flights to airports in Basra and Sulaymaniyah, this summer. The chief executive of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker, “after years of restrictions stranglehold on foreign airlines to operate flights to Iraq, worked Qatar Airways with the Iraqi authorities to open the way her flights to the country were pleased to expand our operations in Iraq within a short period and contribute to efforts to re- ages. ”

Baker added, “with today’s announcements for flights to the cities of Basra and Sulaymaniyah this summer, providing the country so wider travel options for the people of Iraq and stakeholders to reconstruct Iraq.” And kicking off country flights to Basra on the third of June will begin flights to Sulaymaniyah on the twentieth of August.

uragency.net