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Revision as of 05:03, 19 October 2008

Iraqi Airways
File:Image-Iraqi Airways.jpg
IATA ICAO Call sign
IA IAW IRAQI
Founded1945
HubsBaghdad International Airport
Focus citiesBasra International Airport
Queen Alia International Airport
Fleet size3 (+50 orders, 15 options)
Destinations11
HeadquartersBaghdad, Iraq
Websitehttp://www.iraqairwaysonline.com

Iraqi Airways (Arabic: الخطوط الجوية العراقية; also known as Air Iraq) is the national carrier of Iraq, based in Baghdad and it is the oldest airline in the Middle East. It operates domestic and regional service. Its main base is Baghdad International Airport.[1]

Iraqi Airways is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.

History

Iraqi Airways was founded in 1945 and started operation in 29/01/1946 using Dragon Rapide and Vickers Viking aircraft. By 1955 the Viscounts operated all of Iraqi Airways' services. In the 1960s Iraqi Airways bought Russian Tupolev Tu-124 planes as well as Hawker Siddeley Trident aircraft. These jets allowed Iraqi Airways to increase service across the Middle East, to Africa and Europe. During that time, cargo aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-76 were also purchased. During the 1970s, Iraqi Airways needed a bigger jet for a new route to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, purchasing the Boeing 707 and, soon after, the Boeing 747.

File:Iraqi airways at Baghadad international airport.jpg
Iraqi Airways Boeing 737-200 at Baghdad International Airport

Decline

The Iran–Iraq War did little to undermine the airline's activities. Since Iraq's invasion in 1990 of Kuwait, Iraqi Airways was grounded by the United Nations' sanctions against the country. Iraqi Airways had 17 jets, all of which were moved to secret locations, mainly in Jordan.

Attempts were made to restart internal services in May 1991 and permission was granted by the UN for the operation of helicopters on limited domestic services. Fixed-wing flights were banned under the ceasefire terms, although the UN Security Council agreed to the resumption of internal flights. These restarted in January 1992 from Baghdad to Basra using Antonov An-24 aircraft. Operations were suspended shortly after, following a UN ruling.[1]

An Iraqi airlines 737-200 taxis in front of the control tower at Baghdad International Airport in 2008

However, domestic flights became a rarity too, because of the No-Fly Zone imposed by the United States and United Kingdom over Iraqi skies. On occasions, Iraqi Airways would also fly pilgrims to Muslim religious cities throughout the 1990s.

Revival

After the War in Iraq, on May 30, 2003, Iraqi Airways announced plans to resume international services. The rights to the Iraqi Airways name was transferred to a new and separate company called Air Iraq Company which would build a new airline and protect it from the legal problems related to the regime of Saddam Hussein. Operations restarted on 3 October 2004 with a flight between Baghdad and Amman.

Iraqi Airways operated the first domestic commercial scheduled service since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime from Baghdad to Basra, with 100 passengers in a Boeing 727-247, on 4 June 2005. On 6 November 2005, Iraqi Airways operated a flight from Baghdad to Tehran, Iran, for the first time in 25 years. The aircraft, as with the rest of the fleet, is operated on its behalf by Teebah Airlines of Jordan. Services to Arbil and Sulaymaniyah were added in summer 2005.

New Livery

Iraqi Airways unveiled a new look featuring Navy Blue and White colour combination, on their first CRJ-900 which was delivered on 7th October 2008 seen here at Zurich enroute to Erbil.

Destinations

Fleet

The Iraqi Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of October 2008):[3]

Iraqi Airways Fleet
Aircraft Total Routes Notes
Airbus A300B4-2C 1 Operated for Government of Iraq
Boeing 727-247 1 Short-Medium haul Operated by Teebah Airlines
Boeing 737-200 2 Short haul 1 operated by Teebah Airlines
1 operated by StarLine
Boeing 737-800 (30 orders)
(10 options) 		Short-Medium haul
Bombardier CRJ-900 1
(9 orders)
(10 options) 		Short-Medium haul first aircraft delivered
in new livery [15]
  • In May 2008, the Iraqi government signed a $2.2 billion contract with Boeing for 30 Boeing 737-800 with an option for an additional 10. They are also working on a deal involving the order of 10 Boeing 787 aircraft which would allow for long range service but the contract has not been finalized.[4] Another contract worth $398 million was signed for 10 CRJ-900 aircraft with 10 options from the aircraft manufacturer Bombardier.[5]

Former fleet

File:Iraqi Airways Il-76 Cargo Aircraft (2167325034).jpg
Ilyushin Il-76MD at Basle in November 1984

Iraqi Airways fleet was composed of mostly Boeing aircraft ordered during 1970s and served with the carrier until the 1990 ban on air travel. Until 2003, some of these aircraft were stored in Amman, Beirut and Tehran because of the Gulf War and ban on air travel in Iraq. However, some air worthy crafts operated a few Hajj flights during the 1990s. After the 2004 re-organization, several restored 727s and 737s, in addition to leased 767-200 aircraft, operated flights for the carrier.

Five Airbus A310-300 were also ordered in the late 1980s but war related sanctions prevented Iraq from getting them and they were never built. In July 2008, Airbus Industrie sales chief John Leahy ordered the deal removed from its backlog in response to an inquiry from Reuters about the long-forgotten deal at the 2008 Farnborough Airshow.

References

  1. ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 94.
  2. ^ http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=222957&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=31115
  3. ^ CH-Aviation - Airline News, Fleet Lists & More
  4. ^ http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080505b_nr.html
  5. ^ http://bombardier.com/en/aerospace/media-centre/press-releases/details?docID=0901260d800200af
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