By IRNA,
London : An Iraqi Airways flight has landed at London Gatwick airport, the first commercial between the two countries for 20 years.
Flight IA237, which was reported to have stopped en route in Malmo, Sweden, for unspecified security checks, finally touched down late Sunday night.
It was nearly a year behind the original schedule and due to take off from Baghdad nine days ago, but was grounded by the volcanic ash cloud drifting over Europe.
The flight, which had 30 foreign and Iraqi passengers on board, is the first since the UN imposed sanctions after Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Iraqi Airways are planning two flights a week between Baghdad and London, with the outward journey flying via Malmo but with a direct return flight.
The only other direct passenger service from Europe is from Stockholm. From Baghdad, there are already passenger flights to Tehran, Istanbul, Damascus, Dubai and Beirut.