"Lufthansa Plans to Resume Baghdad Flights
By REUTERS
Filed at 7:56 a.m. ET
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German airline Lufthansa said on Saturday it was seeking approval to resume flights to Baghdad as soon as possible.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it needed the consent of the authorities in Iraq but hoped to take a decision in a few weeks after clarifying issues such as take-off and landing rights.
``With its oil refineries, Baghdad is the country's leading industrial center and is becoming an increasingly important destination for business travelers,'' it said in a statement.
A spokeswoman said decisions on the frequency of flights and aircraft to be used would be taken once approval was granted.
Other airlines that have expressed an interest in reintroducing flights to the Iraqi capital include Northwest Airlines Corp and Virgin Atlantic.
Lack of paperwork forced the postponement last week of the first commercial flight to Baghdad since U.S.-led forces captured the city in April.
Peter Henderson, a South African businessman, had hoped to charter a aircraft to fly 40 passengers on ``Air Baghdad'' from the Jordanian capital, charging six times the pre-war airfare.
He told Reuters on Thursday that the flight should take place on Sunday.
Lufthansa operated commercial flights to Baghdad from 1956 until 1990"
Boeing 747-311 From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 795 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (10 years 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2195 times:
what aircraft did LH use to serve baghdad with before the first gulf war?
Trvlr From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4430 posts, RR: 24 Reply 4, posted (10 years 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2132 times:
Jhooper: Probably. It has been said that the airport could be fully operational (for passenger services, that is) within the next two months. My guess is commercial services will start around that time.
Godbless From Sweden, joined Apr 2000, 2751 posts, RR: 18 Reply 7, posted (10 years 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 2063 times:
The US and British coalition wants to bring the subject of ending the sanctions on Iraq (also than ending "oil for food" programme) into the UN at the beginnig of June. And no idea how France and Germany (France being more important because it has a veto-power in the UN council) will decide but it seems that they won't block any decision.
How strong was the damage of "Saddam International" caused a) by 12 years of being next to dead and b) through the fights that went on there in March?
Too bad not that many airlines are keen of serving Kabul.
Bobrayner From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2003, 2227 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (10 years 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1768 times:
Just a question... who wants to go to Baghdad?
Tourists, aid workers, a few journalists, oil people, lots of NGO staff, and maybe some semi-military traffic? Plus, although Iraq may have been crushed, there are plenty of Iraqi expats/dissidents/emigres in the rest of the world who would want to go back there.
Hey, I'd consider it if my travel wishlist wasn't already a mile long
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6087 posts, RR: 56 Reply 10, posted (10 years 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1745 times:
BGW is the three letter code for Baghdad. Looking forward to schedule flights to Iraq and that things get better for the people of Iraq.
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
Airsicknessbag From Germany, joined Aug 2000, 4723 posts, RR: 38 Reply 12, posted (10 years 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1670 times:
>>>BGW is the three letter code for Baghdad.
Yes, but not only the metropolitan area code but also the specific airport code for Al-Muthenna airfield, where the air force´s headquarters and main ops centre were.
SDA must not necessarily be replaced, take TGD and LED as an example. Especially the latter is certainly a match for Saddam in terms of "evilness".
Shamrock104 From Ireland, joined Sep 2000, 517 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (10 years 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1628 times:
Airsicknessbag,
Especially the latter is certainly a match for Saddam in terms of "evilness"
Without turning this political, I amume you're refering to LED, named after Lenin. Maybe you're confusing him with Stalin when you mention 'evilness', because I don't see how Lenin was 'evil'...
Touchdown99 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (10 years 2 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1477 times:
BA and VS, LH, NWA, Austrian.
In addition North American (from JFK via GVA), World Airways (from IAD via GVA), Continental (from IAH... thanks to Dick Cheney, err, Halliburton that is), Gulf Air (from Abu Dhabi), Emirates (from Dubai), Qatar Airways (from Doha), Air Baghdad (from Amman).
The most likely other European candidates seem to be Swiss (if they do not go bancrupt before) and Air France (if Condoleeza will allow weasel airline services to Iraq) as both served BGW until 1990.
OTOH, in 2001quite a few airlines said they planned to serve Kabul and all that has materialized so far are weekly flights by PIA and Mahan Air to Islamabad and Teheran and a thrice-weekly AZAL service to Baku.... (yes, I know Kabul is not Baghdad, but anyway...).
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16261 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2000, 13711 posts, 
From Germany, joined May 2000, 3120 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Apr 2000, 2751 posts, 
From Canada, joined Oct 2001, 6659 posts, 
From Ireland, joined Sep 2000, 517 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
