Qatar Airways resumes service to two Iraq cities

Qatar Airways yesterday announced that it has resumed service to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. The airline had suspended service to both routes in November 2017, per the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority’s directive to all international carriers at the time.
The award-winning airline now operates seven weekly flights to each destination. From May 1, the airline will further boost its service to Erbil with double daily flights.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker, said: “Erbil and Sulaymaniyah have always been two important destinations in Iraq, in addition to Baghdad, the capital city, as well as Najaf and Basra. With an abundance of history to unearth at each location, we are pleased to be relaunching our award-winning service to both of these destinations, offering our passengers yet again a multitude of choice within Iraq.”
Qatar Airways operates an Airbus A320 aircraft to both Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, which features 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. Passengers will be able to enjoy the airline’s superior entertainment system, offering a wide variety of entertainment options, including the latest blockbuster movies, TV shows, music and games.
Qatar Airways serves five destinations in Iraq. The airline first began flights to Erbil in 2012, followed by the capital Baghdad, Najaf, Basra and Sulaymaniyah.
Qatar Airways enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2017, claiming more than 50 individual awards across multiple categories, demonstrating its continued commitment to exceeding passenger expectations with its innovative approach to product development and dedication to customer experience.
Leading the host of awards received by the airline last year is the prestigious accolade of 2017 ‘Airline of the Year,’ awarded by the 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which was held at the Paris Air Show. This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition. In addition to being voted Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.
Last month, Qatar Airways revealed a host of forthcoming global destinations in line with its expedited expansion plans, including the announcement that it will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct service to Luxembourg.