Emirates to resume flights to Baghdad

Emirates, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), plans to restart passenger flights to Iraq's capital Baghdad from March 1 after they were suspended in January owing to security concerns, the airline said Tuesday.

The airline, which had suspended operations to Baghdad January 26, after a flydubai jet was hit with bullets, would again operate six weekly flights to the Iraqi capital, Khaleej Times reported.

"Actually, I was planning to fly home this week and was looking for a flight on the Emirates," said Yasser Abu Sajjad, an Iraqi engineer, adding that he was very happy about the airline's decision.

"The return of services between Dubai and Baghdad follows a comprehensive safety and security review in conjunction with the (UAE's) GCAA (General Civil Aviation Authority). Our flights to Baghdad have provided essential economic links for the capital and it is good news for our customers that we can now restart operations," said Emirates official, Majid Al Mualla.

"Given the recent events in Iraq and the targeting of a flydubai jet, resuming flights to Baghdad will not have been an easy decision -- especially since it is a highly lucrative business and economic centre -- not just for Iraq, but also for links to the UAE and Dubai," Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based Strategic Aero Research, told Khaleej Times.

He said Emirates was well known for its tight and robust security procedures and would not hesitate to withdraw services if the environment suddenly changed.

Baghdad has been part of Emirates' route network since 2011. The airline also operates services to the Iraqi cities of Erbil and Basra.