New route to Baghdad takes off
It may not be top of most backpackers' wishlists but the first passenger flight from Europe to Baghdad since the early 1990s has taken off.
Around 150 people traveled on the Nordic Leisure service to the Iraqi capital on Friday, it was reported.
The majority of travelers on the Swedish airliner were Iraqis.
More flights – including one from Hong Kong – were also scheduled to land at Baghdad International Airport over the weekend, Iraqi transport minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail told journalists, AFP reported.
The airport is also set to be renovated under a preliminary accord signed last week by Air France-KLM and Iraq's transport ministry. It will also mean Iraqi Airways' services jetting off to European destinations.
Baghdad International Airport is located about ten miles west of the city. It was formerly referred to as Saddam International Airport but its name has now been changed.
