newstodate.aero
Oct 15, 2007 (newstodate): Swedish airlines are still prohibited from operating direct flights to Iraq after the missile incident over Sulimaniyah on Augsut 9, 2007.
-Hamburg Airlines has already re-opened its flights to Sulimaniyah, and Austrian Airlines has now scheduled January 9, 2008, as the re-opening of their flights to Erbil, both in Kurdish Iraq. Only Swedish airlines are still prohibited from operating direct flights, says Amar Abbas, Rejs Nu VP.
-The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will reportedly publish a report on the issue within this week, after which the Swedish CAA will consider the situation and the safety issues.
-If we do not get permission to start direct flights between Scandinavia and Iraq with Swedish airlines, we will have to charter an Iraqi airline with traffic rights to fly the routes.
-We currently operate air traffic to and from Iraq via another airport in Turkey, where we cooperate with another airline to lift passengers into and out of Iraq. But while we can thus serve passengers holding Swedish passports, passengers with Iraqi passports only cannot be accepted at the transfer point. This is a huge problem for Iraqi families that need to return to Sweden with school children that are expected to continue their studies, says Mr Abbas.
-Hamburg Airlines has already re-opened its flights to Sulimaniyah, and Austrian Airlines has now scheduled January 9, 2008, as the re-opening of their flights to Erbil, both in Kurdish Iraq. Only Swedish airlines are still prohibited from operating direct flights, says Amar Abbas, Rejs Nu VP.
-The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will reportedly publish a report on the issue within this week, after which the Swedish CAA will consider the situation and the safety issues.
-If we do not get permission to start direct flights between Scandinavia and Iraq with Swedish airlines, we will have to charter an Iraqi airline with traffic rights to fly the routes.
-We currently operate air traffic to and from Iraq via another airport in Turkey, where we cooperate with another airline to lift passengers into and out of Iraq. But while we can thus serve passengers holding Swedish passports, passengers with Iraqi passports only cannot be accepted at the transfer point. This is a huge problem for Iraqi families that need to return to Sweden with school children that are expected to continue their studies, says Mr Abbas.