Dubai's Emirates Airlines on Sunday resumed flights to Baghdad after a 20-year hiatus, when an Airbus A330 landed at the Iraqi capital's airport, a transport ministry statement said.
"I insisted on opening this line in order to strengthen the links between the two brotherly countries after a suspension of at least two decades, due to the policies of the former regime" of Saddam Hussein, Transport Ministry Hadi al-Amari said in the statement.
Iraqis travelling on Emirates from Baghdad are to receive a free visa to the United Arab Emirates for a one-month period.
According to Emirates' website, there will be four flights between Baghdad and Dubai per week. Emirates has flown to the south Iraq port city of Basra since February.
AFP
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