Iraq and Saudi Arabia are set to resume scheduled passenger flights for the first time in twenty-seven years. The last such services took place in 1990 just after then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait thus triggering the first Gulf War.
In a statement, Iraq's Ministry of Transportation said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) to regulate traffic between the two countries. Flights are due to commence from October 30 onwards.
Thus far, only flynas (XY, Riyadh) has publically confirmed its intention to enter the market noting in a press release last week that flights from "Saudi Arabia's major airports to several Iraqi cities" would begin in the coming weeks. No firm timelines or city pairs were specified.
The announcement comes after Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari's trip to Saudi-Arabia earlier this year during which his Saudi counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir, said Riyadh was prepared to resume direct air links from Riyadh to each of Baghdad and Najaf as well as write off Baghdad's debt as part of a strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries. The move is also seen as Riyadh's attempt at curbing rival Iran's growing influence in Iraqi affairs.
