Austrian Airlines to Iraq!

[Ijineda]

From march on austrian airlines will be the first airline in the world who will serve Iraq. they plan to go to Erbil in northern Iraq three times a week with an A319, directly from Vienna. (Update your AI-Traffic!!!)

Wonder who in the austrian management had this brilliant idea...I mean who will use this route???

[C]

You amy find the reformed Iraqi Airlines has been serving there for quite some time now...

[Ijineda]

You amy find the reformed Iraqi Airlines has been serving there for quite some time now...

But that doesnt cound as they are domestical.

[C]

But that doesnt cound as they are domestical.

Fair enough

[ozzy72]

I think you'll find that both Britain and Austria have very large Iraqi ex-pat communities so it is a sound business move

[Clownloachlover]

Wonder who in the austrian management had this brilliant idea...I mean who will use this route???

Outside of Baghdad, Iraq is very stable. Look at Kurdistan and Southern Iraq. They even have a new Stock Marke.

http://www.theotheriraq.com/

[Ivan]

Erbil... (AKA Irbil or Arbil) is the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region.
Old Airforce base converted to a civvie field (you can see the digging works on Google Earth)

Safest place you can go in Iraq

First airline operating there was Royal Jordanian... only with a leased full white F28 and restricted to press and humanitarian ops.

Chances are they are going to make a HUGE profit on this one... as the other choice flies under Sierra Leone reg with 30 year old 737s that have been pulled from various dump sites.

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

My dad lived in Erbil for 4 years....the other 2 years he spent in Dohuk...he loved Iraq...and I really want to go to....but seeing the present conditions....I don't dare....

[Ivan]

If you know the language and have good local contacts in the area you're quite safe.

Problem is that your insurance company won't pay if something goes wrong.