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BA gets go-ahead to begin flights to Iraq
British Airways has been cleared to launch twice-weekly flights to Basra in Iraq.
The new service, via Kuwait, has been approved by the US-led administration in the war-torn country, and will use Boeing 777 aircraft.
In a press release, BA said it had received confirmation from the Coalition Provisional Authority that the flights could begin, but added that no start date had been set yet.
Geoff Want, director of safety and security, said: “The security of our customers, staff and operation is absolutely paramount and we will fly to Iraq only once we are confident that it is safe for us to do so.”
Alan Burnett, BA’s regional director for the Middle East and Africa, said: “We are delighted that we have been given the go ahead to start services to Iraq. Our priority is to establish flights to Basra as soon as we can but we continue to look at the possibility of starting flights to Baghdad in the future once the airport is open.
“Air services connecting Iraq with Europe will provide a vital link during the rebuilding of Iraq and commercial flights will be the cornerstone of the economic development of the country.”
Flights were first suspended in March 1987 during the Iran-Iraq war, and resumed again 18 months later. But they were halted again in February 1990 in the lead-up to the first Gulf war.
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