"Flights to Iraq not likely this month"

Monday, September 15, 2003      

Flights to Iraq not likely this month 
By Saifur Rahman
UAE - Gulf News


Dubai - Commercial flights to Iraq are still uncertain, despite some
airlines announcing their schedules for regular flights late last month.

Airline sources said the Provisional Coalition Authority, which is in
control of the government, has not given any indication as to when flights
could resume, leaving the situation up for speculation.

The authority had given six airlines permission to launch operations to the
southern port city of Basra.

Soon after, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways announced their schedules of a weekly
flight to the city. Flights were scheduled to begin on August 30. 

However, the authority then asked both carriers to delay their flights by a
week.

Qatar Airways then said its flights would start from September 6, followed
by Gulf Air flights. However, none could take off.

Emirates, which also received permission to fly to Basra, on the other hand,
decided to take a wait-and-watch approach, which proved to be worthwhile.
Airline sources said that they did not expect the flights to resume this
month. 

"The authority has not given any clear indication as to when the flights
could begin due to the volatile situation there," said an official of Gulf
Air. "I can't say whether we would be able to start flights to Iraq in
September."


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