Direct flights between Iraq and Russia resumed on Sunday for the first time in 17 years, the Anadolu Agency reported.
The Iraqi Minister of Transport Kadhum Finjan Al-Hamami said in a statement that “the new air route will enable Iraqi civil aviation to enter European airspace and will allow the Iraqi travellers to study, receive treatment, travel for tourism and trade in Russia.”
“Iraq and Russia are linked through historical relations dating back to the 1940s which have developed over the past years, especially in the areas of investment, study and medicine,” the minister added, pointing out that the new route will ease the difficulty of travelling between airports and reduce the cost of travel.
A source at Baghdad International Airport said a government delegation headed by Al-Hamami left for Moscow yesterday aboard an Iraqi carrier to inaugurate the new air route.
The Russian Consulate in Baghdad has welcomed the resumption of direct flights between Baghdad and Moscow and hoped that this would increase economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, the Iraqi ministry of transport said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Russian Consulate has issued a large number of tourist visas for Iraqis wishing to visit Russia.