By John Lee. SalamAir is to begin direct flights between Muscat and Erbil from 25th October. The Omani low-cost carrier says the route will offer affordable direct connections between the two cities. (Source: SalamAir)
By Gavin Gibbon, for Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI). Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Fly Baghdad Plans Comeback after US Sanctions Lifted The target is to start operating before the end of the year, aiming for destinations in the GCC […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Airways is to resume its Basra-Delhi service from 18th August, with one weekly flight operating each Tuesday. The route was suspended in early March due to regional conditions. The airline cited improved conditions and increased travel demand between Iraq and India as the reasons for reactivating the service. A direct weekly […]
By John Lee. Use of Iraqi airspace rose by 26.8% in July 2026 compared with June, according to the Ministry of Transport. Ali Naama, head of the Air Traffic Management Department, attributed the increase to reduced regional tensions, the reactivation of a number of air routes, and the opening of new ones during the period. […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Airways is to launch direct flights between Kirkuk and the Turkish city of Trabzon from 12th August 2026, in response to growing demand for tourist destinations during the summer season. According to the Ministry of Transport, the route was established in line with directives from Minister of Transport Wahab Salman Mohammed […]
By John Lee. Fly Baghdad, also known as Iraq Express, has been removed from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. Two aircraft operated by the airline - tail numbers YI-BAF and YI-BAN - have also been delisted. The airline had been designated under the Specially Designated Global Terrorist […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Airways is to resume flights between Baghdad and Moscow on Tuesday, following a five-month suspension. According to the Ministry of Transport, the service will operate twice weekly, on Saturdays and Tuesdays, beginning on Tuesday 4th August 2026. Flights were suspended for security reasons following an escalation of conflict in the region […]
By John Lee. New temporary air routes have been established between the Baghdad and Tehran Flight Information Regions (FIRs), with the changes taking effect on 23 July 2026. The General Company for Air Navigation Services issued an official Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to formalise the new arrival and departure routes. Dr. Ahmed Imad Ahmed, Deputy […]
By John Lee. Iraq and Jordan are in discussions to increase the number of flights between the two countries and to open a Royal Jordanian Airlines office in Baghdad, reciprocating the existing Iraqi Airways office in Amman. The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in road transport. The talks took place when Jordan's […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Transport, Wahab Salman Mohammed, has met with EU Ambassador Clemens Simtner to discuss lifting the European aviation ban on Iraqi airlines. A technical meeting between the two sides is to be held to identify the requirements for lifting the ban. The minister emphasised the importance of progress on the […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Airways has taken delivery of its first LEAP-1B spare engine for its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. A second spare engine is expected to arrive in August. According to the Ministry of Transport, Manaf Abd al-Mun'im, Director General of the airline, said the delivery runs in parallel with efforts overseen by Transport […]
By John Lee. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a new advisory recommending that airlines avoid Iraqi airspace entirely, citing continued risks from regional conflict. The advisory, numbered CZIB-2026-05, covers the whole of FIR Baghdad (ORBB) at all altitudes and flight levels. It is valid until 31 August 2026, unless reviewed earlier. […]
