Iraqi Airways facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Iraqi Airways

Founded	June 1945; 80 years ago (1945-06) Baghdad, Iraq
Commenced operations	28 January 1946; 79 years ago (1946-01-28)
AOC #	19
Operating bases	Basra International Airport Erbil International Airport
Hubs	Baghdad International Airport
Focus cities	Al Najaf International Airport Sulaymaniyah International Airport
Fleet size	40
Destinations	50
Parent company	Iraqi Government
Headquarters	Baghdad, Iraq
Key people	Munaf Abdulmunem Ajel (CEO)

Iraqi Airways is the main airline of Iraq. It's like the country's official airline! Its main office is at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad. It's also one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. Iraqi Airways flies to places inside Iraq and to other countries nearby. Its main hub, or central airport, is Baghdad International Airport.

History of Iraqi Airways

Iraqi Airways started in 1945 as part of the Iraqi railway system. Its first flight was on January 28, 1946. They used small planes called De Havilland Dragon Rapides to fly to Syria.

Early Years and New Planes

With help from a British airline, Iraqi Airways ordered new planes called Vickers Vikings. While waiting, they rented four Douglas DC-3 planes. In 1947, they got new de Havilland Dove planes to replace the older ones. The Vikings arrived later that year.

In 1953, the airline chose the Vickers Viscount turboprop plane. These planes started flying in 1955. They were used for all international flights, including a new route to London. In 1960, Iraqi Airways became its own company, separate from the railways.

Jet Age and Growth

In the 1960s, Iraqi Airways bought Russian Tupolev Tu-124 jets and Hawker Siddeley Trident aircraft. These faster planes helped the airline fly to more places. They expanded routes across the Middle East, to Africa, and Europe. They also bought cargo planes like the Ilyushin Il-76 to carry goods.

During the 1970s, Iraqi Airways needed bigger planes for long flights, like a new route to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. They bought Boeing 707s and later, the huge Boeing 747s. At this time, the government helped keep ticket prices low.

Challenges and Restarting Flights

After a conflict in 1991, Iraqi Airways tried to restart flights within Iraq. The United Nations allowed them to use helicopters for some local trips. Regular plane flights were stopped for a while.

In January 1992, domestic flights started again from Baghdad to Basra. They used Antonov An-24 planes. But these flights were soon stopped again by a UN decision. For many years, flights were rare due to special flight zones over Iraq. Sometimes, Iraqi Airways flew people on religious trips.

Revival of Iraqi Airways

After a major conflict in Iraq, Iraqi Airways announced plans to fly internationally again on May 30, 2003. A new company was created, also called Iraqi Airways Company. This helped protect the airline from old legal issues. Flights officially restarted on October 3, 2004, with a flight from Baghdad to Amman.

The first domestic flight after the conflict was on June 4, 2005. A Boeing 727-200 flew from Baghdad to Basra with 100 passengers. On November 6, 2005, Iraqi Airways flew to Tehran, Iran, for the first time in 25 years. They also added flights to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in 2005.

Expanding Routes and New Planes

In June 2009, Iraqi Airways planned to fly directly from Baghdad to London Gatwick Airport. These flights were supposed to start in August 2009. They aimed to expand more into the UK and Europe.

In November 2009, a German airline, Blue Wings, started flying to Düsseldorf and Frankfurt, Germany, for Iraqi Airways. On April 25, 2010, Iraqi Airways launched flights to Gatwick Airport with a stop in Malmö, Sweden. However, there were legal issues when the first flight landed in London.

In February 2012, Iraqi Airways announced they would fly to India again. They planned services to Delhi or Mumbai from Baghdad. In April 2012, the airline ordered 40 new Boeing planes. This included 30 737-800s and 10 787 Dreamliners. The first new planes arrived in December 2012.

On August 14, 2013, Iraqi Airways received its first Boeing 737-800 directly from Boeing. In June 2014, flights to Mosul were stopped because of conflict in the city.

In September 2015, Iraqi Airways got a large loan to buy 40 more modern planes. These included Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. In 2019, Iraqi Airways started flying to Syria again, with flights between Damascus and Baghdad.

Aircraft Look and Special Rules

Since 2012, Iraqi Airways planes have a new green design. This design is now on all their aircraft. Iraqi Airways is one of the few airlines that does not serve alcoholic beverages on its flights.

Where Iraqi Airways Flies

Iraqi Airways flies to many cities around the world. In March 2009, they started flying to Sweden again after almost 19 years. In September 2009, they resumed flights to Bahrain and Doha, Qatar. In October 2009, Iraqi Airways started flying to Karachi, Pakistan, again. They also began seasonal flights for pilgrims to Jeddah.

Iraqi Airways Fleet

Iraqi Airways has a modern fleet of planes. These planes help them fly to many destinations.

Current Aircraft

As of August 2023^[update], the Iraqi Airways fleet includes these aircraft:

Developing the Fleet

In May 2008, the Iraqi government signed a big deal with Boeing. They ordered 30 Boeing 737-800 planes and had the option to buy 10 more. They also worked on a deal for ten Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes for longer flights.

Another deal was made for ten Bombardier CRJ-900ER planes. The first one was delivered in October 2008. In 2009, a legal issue with another airline was settled, and Iraq agreed to pay a certain amount.

In February 2010, Iraqi Airways announced big plans for its fleet. They decided to change some of their Boeing 737-800 orders to larger wide-body planes. They also changed their 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner orders to Boeing 777 aircraft.

Past Aircraft

Iraqi Airways has used many different types of planes over the years. Here are some of them:

Safety and Operations

Like many airlines, Iraqi Airways has had some incidents in its long history. However, the airline has made big improvements to its planes and how it operates, especially in recent years. They focus on safe flights for all passengers.

Images for kids

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  Iraqi Airways Vickers Viscount 735 at East Midlands Airport in 1978

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  Iraqi Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident1E landing at Athens Hellenikon Airport in 1973

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  An Iraqi Airways Boeing 747-200C at London Heathrow Airport in 1983

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  Boeing 747 originally belonging to Iraqi Airways waiting in Tozeur for a settlement with Kuwait since 1990

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  An Iraqi Airways Boeing 737-200 Advanced at Prague Ruzyne Airport in 2004

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  An Iraqi Airways building in Amman, Jordan

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  An Iraqi Government Boeing 747SP operated by Iraqi Airways at Andrews Air Force Base in 1989

See also

In Spanish: Iraqi Airways para niños