By John Lee. The Iraqi Army Aviation Command has begun equipping newly-delivered French-made Caracal helicopters at Martyr Brigadier General Mohammed Alaa Air Base. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, this initiative is part of a broader plan to strengthen the operational capabilities of Iraq's Army Aviation. The Caracal helicopters are equipped for […]
By John Lee. French firm Airbus has delivered the first two Caracal military helicopters to Iraq under a defence contract signed between the two countries. The Iraqi Ministry of Defence confirmed receipt of the aircraft on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Defence Minister Thabet Muhammad Saeed Al-Abbasi highlighted the strength of […]
By John Lee. During his to visit to Spain this week Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani held discussions with representatives from Rheinmetall Expal, Indra, and Airbus. Rheinmetall Expal Munitions describes itself as, "a world-renowned ammunition and armament manufacturer specialised in artillery ammunition, mortar and medium calibre rounds as well as fuzes and rocket propulsion systems." […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense has signed a contract with French company Airbus to purchase Caracal (H225M) helicopters. While the Ministry did not specify the number of helicopters involved, AFP reports that 12 of the twin-engined aircraft will be bought. According to the Ministry, the agreement, signed in the presence of Defense […]
By John Lee. The Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has directed Iraqi Airways to ground its Airbus A220-300 aircraft. According to a letter from the ICAA on 3rd May, "it was decided to stop operating all aircraft of the aforementioned model (A220-300) immediately and until further notice, and until the investigation procedures are completed." The […]
By John Lee. On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani met with representatives of the French companies Thales, Dassault and Airbus. During the meetings, they discussed providing Iraq with specialized radars, Rafale combat aircraft, Falcon civil aircraft, and combat and specialized helicopters for the benefit of the Iraqi Air Force and Civil Aviation. These measures are […]
By John Lee. Kuwait's Wataniya Airways is to commence return flights to Najaf from 23rd August. According to ArabianBusiness, the route will be served by a newly-delivered Airbus A320. The airline was recently granted a licence to operate at Kuwait International Airport, following a six-year break from business due to financial difficulties. (Source: ArabianBusiness)
France's Airbus has delivered the final two of four helicopters from the H145 family ordered by the Iraq Ministry of Oil. The contract with the South Oil Company (SOC), a government owned company of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, was signed in June 2014. The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has selected Airbus as its helicopter […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Transport Ministry is negotiating with Airbus to buy a number of planes, according to a report from Aswat Al Iraq. Iraqi Transport Minister Hadi al-Ameri said the negotiations related to a number of A320 planes. He also confirmed signing the contract with the Canadian company Bombardier to buy ten planes, and […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200, the first Airbus widebody aircraft to be operated by the airline, which already has two A321 aircraft. Accommodating a two-class configuration of 24 business and 264 economy seats, the aircraft is powered by GE CF6-80 engines and will be deployed on European […]
By John Lee. The Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) has announced that it is purchasing two Airbus passenger planes from Germany at the cost of $86 million. The Bank's Chairman, Mrs. Hamdiya al-Jaff, told NINA that the planes, each capable of carrying 200 passengers, were made in 2009 and have not been put into service since […]
Bloomberg reports that Iraqi Airways plans to halt an order to buy regional jets from Canada’s Bombardier in favour of larger planes most likely from Boeing or Airbus, after the government granted it a $300 million interest-free loan. The carrier is unlikely to convert on option to buy further 90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 planes after taking […]
