BA Ready to Start Baghdad Flights in Two Weeks

British Airways is hoping to resume regular flights to Baghdad on July 15 after a 13-year gap, in the hope of cashing in on demand from construction companies involved in rebuilding Iraq.

The carrier sent a team to the Iraqi capital earlier this month. It concluded the airport was serviceable, with damage patched up following firefights during the war.

However, lingering doubts about security prompted BA to delay its start date from the beginning of July. The new date could be postponed if lawlessness deteriorates to the point where the airline's staff would be at risk.

BA wants to fly a Boeing 767 to Baghdad three times a week. The airline is planning to dust off a 1951 government treaty under which it is Britain's nominated airline to fly between the two countries.

The government is thought to be amenable to the resumption of commercial flights. BA will also need the permission of the US military authorities which are administering Baghdad.

If successful, BA is likely to be the first European airline to operate scheduled flights. The German airline Lufthansa has expressed interest in following suit, as has a privately owned British-based charter airline, European Aviation.

The US transport department gave Northwest Airlines permission to fly to the city from Detroit, which has many Iraqi expats, via Amsterdam.

Virgin Atlantic is also interested, having flown a relief flight to Basra in May. It claims a 1970s air transport agreement with Iraq allowed for open skies, with any UK airline allowed to land in the country.

Airlines believe that Baghdad could be a significant moneyspinner.

The council of Indian Muslims has written to BA's chairman, Lord Marshall, urging him to donate a Concorde to a museum in India, to "mark Britain's contribution in India's progress in the field of science and technology".