US EditionEurope Flies Back to Baghdad After 35 Years
Aegean Airlines starts two weekly Baghdad-Athens flights, part of Iraq's aviation overhaul boosting tourism and business, officials say safety upgrades meet European standards.
- On December 16, Baghdad International Airport received its first European flight in 35 years, operated by Greece's national carrier Aegean Airlines on the Baghdad–Athens–Baghdad route.
- European airlines left Baghdad when security and sanctions made operations too risky after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War, but Iraq has recently shown signs of improved stability, officials said.
- Aegean Airlines operates a network covering 162 destinations, and the Baghdad launch follows earlier flights to Erbil as part of a wider 2025 expansion, supporting efforts to lift the European ban, the ministry said.
- The Baghdad–Athens route will run two flights per week initially, with officials saying it will boost passenger traffic, support tourism and business, and include planned Oman Air European services.
- The ministry called the arrival a turning point in Iraq's aviation revival after Transport Minister Razzaq Mohibis Al‑Saadawi led efforts to meet security and infrastructure standards at Baghdad International Airport.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Greek Carrier Aegean Leads European Return to Baghdad After 35-Year Hiatus
Aegean became the first European airline to land in Baghdad for more than three decades. Credit: Colin Cooke Photo / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons Aegean Airlines has officially inaugurated a direct route between Athens and Baghdad, ending a 35-year absence of European commercial aviation in the city. Iraq’s Ministry of Transport said the arrival represents “Iraq’s return to the European aviation map” and ushers in “a new phase of recovery fo…
After decades of terror and violence, a plane with passengers arrived in Iraq directly from a European country. In the future, you can travel from the Greek capital twice a week.
Iraq's Transport Ministry said on Tuesday that a Greek Aegean Airlines aircraft became the first European commercial plane to land at Baghdad International Airport in 35 years.
Baghdad Welcomes First European Flight in More Than Three Decades
Iraq’s transport ministry announced on Tuesday, December 16th, that a flight operated by Greece’s Aegean Airlines had become the first European civil aircraft in 35 years to land at Baghdad International Airport. The ministry described the arrival as a milestone, signalling Iraq’s return to the European aviation map [marking] a new phase of recovery for Iraq’s aviation sector. European airlines ceased direct operations to Baghdad in the early…
Aegean aircraft landed at the airport - The Baghdad-Athens-Baghdad route will be operated with two flights per week, with the possibility of adding more depending on demand
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