Iraq Airways resumes flights

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(19 Sep 2004) • • 1. Exterior of Baghdad International Airport • 2. People inside the airport departure lounge • 3. Various of an Iraqi aeroplane moving on the runway • 4. Various of passengers embarking plane • 5. Airport tower • 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Adel Al-Doori, Co-pilot, Iraqi Airways: • Of course, we were waiting for this day. Iraqi Airways was idle for 14 years, the pilots were out of work. We hope that this beginning will continue. God willing it will continue and every thing will be back to as it was before. • 7. Passengers queuing at check in • 8. Passengers inside the plane • 9. Wide of plane on runway • • STORYLINE: • • Iraq's national airline resumed international flights for the first time in 14 years this weekend. • • The first flight left from Amman, Jordan for Baghdad and another left the Iraqi capital for Damascus, Syria. • • The Iraqi Airways flight from Amman to Baghdad was the state airline's first international flight since sanctions were imposed on Saddam Hussein's regime in 1990 -- a round-trip economy fare costs 750 dollars (US). • • The flight from Baghdad to Damascus marks the first flight to Syria since 1980 when the two countries severed ties over the Iran-Iraq war -- a round-trip economy fare costs 600 dollars (US). • • A spokesman for the airline said that as of Saturday, Iraqi Airways will fly once daily to Amman and Damascus and eventually another route to the United Arab Emirates will be added. • • Iraqi insurgents have taken aim at some commercial and military flights over Baghdad, firing rockets at aircraft flying to and from the airport, which is also used by the US military. • • To avoid rocket fire, planes are forced to make sharp manoeuvres while staying within a secure perimeter over the airport. • • Last year, a plane from the shipping company DHL landed at the airport with its wing on fire from a rocket attack. • • A car bomb exploded Saturday on a road leading to the Baghdad airport as a US military convoy passed by, wounding three American soldiers. • • Iraqi Airways is working to renovate its fleet by buying five Airbus aircraft and training Iraqi pilots in Arab countries, including Jordan. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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