Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18830 posts, RR: 54 Posted (3 months 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 13066 times:
I was just sent the following, as part of a big promotion, from IKB Travel that will exclusively handle Iraqi's sales in the UK:
"We are very proud to announce that this will allow flights to Baghdad and Sulaimaniya to be completed in just under 5.30hr hours from London! The first in 23 years!
The first flight will be at 10pm on 5th March 2013 and will be departing from London Gatwick heading to Baghdad International Airport.
Iraqi Airways will use a brand new Airbus A330 to operate two direct flights to Baghdad and one to Sulaimaniya every week. The frequency will increase in the coming months. All return flights to the UK will stop in Malmo, Sweden, for a period of 1hr before proceeding to the UK."
Per Iraqi Airways*:
"The routes have already been granted permission by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
This signifies the first direct flight service between Iraq and the United Kingdom since August 1990 after an attempt to run in 2010 was thwarted due to a $1.2 Billion lawsuit by Kuwait Airways.
Two direct flights to Baghdad and one to Sulaimaniya every week. The frequency will increase to 6 flights a week by 15th June 2013. "
Those born in Iraq or are descents of Iraqis are one of the largest ethnic groups in Sweden - at over 175,000. And presumably a number live within the Malmo area, in addition to the 30,000 in nearby Denmark, the majority of which seem to reside in Zealand. Presumably the stop enables the existence of the routes without which they might not have been viable, in addition to marginally higher frequencies than if relying solely on Malmo or London (and reasonable distances from both). But, those are just guesses in this instance.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
migair54 From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12241 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 2): Those born in Iraq or are descents of Iraqis are one of the largest ethnic groups in Sweden - at over 175,000. And presumably a number live within the Malmo area, in addition to the 30,000 in nearby Denmark, the majority of which seem to reside in Zealand. Presumably the stop enables the existence of the routes without which they might not have been viable, in addition to marginally higher frequencies than if relying solely on Malmo or London (and reasonable distances from both). But, those are just guesses in this instance.
Thank you for the info, that makes sense, however that traffic will be mainly VFR so not really high yielding, but they need to fill up the plane... maybe when they increase the freqs we can see some of the flights going directly to LGW without stoping in Malmo.
Where is the A330 coming from?? If they have some B777 I don´t understand why bringing now some A330 unless they are going to use them on wet lease until they get some more B777.
Quoting MCOflyer (Reply 5): Why waste a 77LR on a short route like this?? The airbus makes more sense on this route.
It makes more sense but why getting another type of plane doesn´t make that sense, the real question is, do they really need a B77LR?? I think the A330 is an excellent plane for them but if they go for B777 they should be operating B777 for all the long haul routes if possible and available. I think even getting some non-ER can be good for them to fly to places like London and Malmo.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18830 posts, RR: 54 Reply 7, posted (3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12220 times:
Quoting migair54 (Reply 6): that traffic will be mainly VFR so not really high yielding, but they need to fill up the plane
Yes, absolutely, hence the need to offset lower yields (i.e., lower revenue per passenger per mile) with greater traffic volume. And like to/from Malmo, I suspect the traffic that Iraqi Airways will capture from London will also be mainly VFR. Of course, we can guess otherwise, but sadly we don't have data to counteract it.
[Edited 2013-02-15 08:04:30]
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
HB-IWC From Greece, joined Sep 2000, 4414 posts, RR: 76 Reply 9, posted (3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12150 times:
Quoting ju068 (Reply 8): http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a330-1339.htm airfleets says that the plane is 0.5 years old, could it be straight from the factory? Maybe someone sold them the frame?
It was a factory fresh tail that was not taken up by Air Asia X.
migair54 From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12108 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 7): Yes, absolutely, hence the need to offset lower yields (i.e., lower revenue per passenger per mile) with greater traffic volume. And like to/from Malmo, I suspect the traffic that IA will capture from London will also be mainly VFR. Of course, we can guess otherwise, but sadly we don't have data to counteract it.
From London it will be VRF but they will also get Business travelers, now Iraq is a country that need to foreign investment and London is a big commercial hub, so I guess they will pick up some of this traffic as well, obviously biggest part of high yields will fly with TK, QR, EK... but slowly they will pick up some piece of the cake, same for govt officials travelling, they usually pay well and don´t care much about high fares, so they can get also part of that..
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18830 posts, RR: 54 Reply 12, posted (3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12083 times:
Quoting migair54 (Reply 11): From London it will be VRF but they will also get Business travelers, now Iraq is a country that need to foreign investment and London is a big commercial hub, so I guess they will pick up some of this traffic as well, obviously biggest part of high yields will fly with TK, QR, EK... but slowly they will pick up some piece of the cake, same for govt officials travelling, they usually pay well and don´t care much about high fares, so they can get also part of that..
Hence why I said
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 7): I suspect the traffic that Iraqi Airways will capture from London will also be mainly VFR.
And not 'the only traffic...'
Agreed re. most higher-yielding traffic using TK, QR, EK.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
777way From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5179 posts, RR: 4 Reply 14, posted (3 months 5 days ago) and read 8561 times:
Malmo seems to be a tech stop only, no traffic, why are people suggesting they will be picking/dropping passengers from there when its not even listed in the schedule.
Why arent IA painting their planes in full livery?
I actually believe its due to a re-fuelling embargo in the UK and many other EU states, not to collect or drop off pax as some have stated, but I could be wrong.
I'm sure pax will disembark/board at Malmo however, this just happens to be a perk.
777way From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5179 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (3 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 8106 times:
Its a security stop according to IA's UK website, another Iraqi charter carrier Al-Nasser also serve MMX from BGW and ISU apparently.
IA arabic website is listing Kudrat in Malaysia, besides Cyprus as new additions in booking menu, but it seems to be a dummy site,t they have also included Bombay in there now which is served, but some other places are missing like Delhi, Antalya, Adanna,
ju068 From Serbia, joined Aug 2009, 2579 posts, RR: 6 Reply 18, posted (3 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 7801 times:
Quoting 777way (Reply 17): besides Cyprus as new additions in booking menu
I noticed Cyprus as well. I know Cyprus Airways used to run a one weekly scheduled flight from Larnaca to Erbil during the summer. Maybe they intend on doing the same.
debonair From Germany, joined Jan 2004, 2098 posts, RR: 4 Reply 20, posted (3 months 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 6774 times:
Quoting 777way (Reply 14): Malmo seems to be a tech stop only, no traffic, why are people suggesting they will be picking/dropping passengers from there when its not even listed in the schedule.
Wouldn't it be fantastic, to have 5th freedom rights between MMX and LGW - just to fly IA!
skipness1E From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2007, 2374 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (3 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 6339 times:
I hope they're IFR rather than VFR, the fuel consumption alone would be vast, though it would explain the tech stop! Not sure I can see this service lasting beyond a few months.
hotplane From UK - England, joined Jul 2006, 783 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 5738 times:
Quoting iraqiairways (Reply 22): The brand new A330 that will be used LONDON-IRAQ direct.
Reassuring.
?
25 iraqiairways: Please google the Reg. YI-AQY. Which will confirm it is a brand new A330. Regards, Dhalia Burhan Iraqi Airways UK Public Relations Representative
26 Bralo20: The plane in the picture is a Boeing 777-29MLR registered YI-AQZ No doubt that YI-AQY is an Airbus A330 but that isn't the plane in the picture.
27 Iraqiairways: Dear all, Apologizes for the image mix up! Of course you are right the uploaded image is of the 777! Attached is this A330 sorry about that. We have
28 jfidler: Can someone explain how/why such a security check occurs? I've never been on a flight that makes a stop en-route just for a security check.
29 777way: Has Kuwait resumed as reported by a gulf newspaper last week?[Edited 2013-02-21 14:56:35]
30 nighthawk: Skipness1E: VFR in this case stands for Visiting Friends and Relatives.
31 skipness1E: Yes I know.....it was an attempt ar wordplay that bombed. So what's the deal? DFT won't allow non stop like the US does with Pakistan? Iraqi airport s
32 Birdwatching: You claim to be the PR representative, but in your profile you have uploaded various photos of the new airplanes surrounded by the trashed and comple
33 LGWGate49: Hi all Does anyone know if this service started a couple of days back? Cheers
34 hotplane: Yes, it did. It's operating again this evening.
36 A388: I hope those A330's wear full Iraqi Airways colors instead of an all-white aircraft with small airline titles. Maybe because of the flights arriving/
37 OA260: Thanks for the photos I found them very interesting to be honest. Would love to see more showing these especially any interiors. Its not as if they a
38 Jofa: I just had one accepted to the database from MMX 5/3. Perhaps it ends up on the front page as news, i dont know.
40 hotplane: Certainly not worth a trip to LGW for.[Edited 2013-03-07 14:56:38]
41 777way: They currently have three livery styles on three CRJs one original green wavy, one Bombardier house blue and one in new green livery plus one 737-200
42 Viscount724: It's already been clarified that there's a significant potential market for Malmo. They're operating it as a triangular route so passengers to LGW wi
43 skipness1E: Why does Iraq have a large market from Malmo?
46 rutankrd: There are 120,000 Iraqi/Kurds settled in Southern Sweden . In addition to the IA operation from Malmo and Gothenburg there are already several other
47 Viscount724: Sorry, I missed the reference to the security checks. So please disregard my comments re carrying MMX traffic. It just seemed to make sense based on
48 Glom: What about BSR? I guess waiting on increasing acceptance from the super-majors' travel departments before trying to tap that market? But direct from L
49 jayeshrulz: What happened to the Embargo that US NEW aircrafts/aircraft parts cant be sold to them? How come they have the 777 LR and the A330 which are brand new
51 Viscount724: The last remaining embargos/sanctions against Iraq were removed in 2010. Many had been removed earlier. I believe the only remaining sanction against
52 jayeshrulz: Ah, that makes sense. Thank you I feel IranAir too should be given a fair chance for expansion... they're in dire need of new airframes!
53 Glom: I think that one is gone too now. Last month Iraq made a deal with Kuwait to pay them a bung to settle things.
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