British Airways wants to resume scheduled flights from London to Baghdad as soon as stability returns to Iraq, its chief executive Rod Eddington said on Sunday.
”We have the rights to fly to Iraq and we are now awaiting confirmation from the British government that it is safe to return,” said Eddington, adding that plans were afoot to operate a Boeing 767 along the route three times a week.
British Airways and its predecessor BOAC served Baghdad for decades.
Flights were suspended during the Iran-Iraq war, then resumed in November 1988 until February 1990, a few months before Iraq invaded Kuwait, triggering the Gulf war.
Last week Virgin Atlantic Airways, controlled by entrepreneur Richard Branson, said it had approached the British government to resume London-Baghdad flights. – Sapa-AFP