Basra Airport reopens
Basra International Airport today welcomed its first fare-paying passengers since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
The arrival of the Iraqi Airways Boeing 727 from the capital Baghdad was marked by the slaughter of a sacrificial lamb in front of the aircraft.
The city is the headquarters of the British forces in the country.
The air station commander, Group Captain Ian Wood, said that the re-opening of the airport to commercial flights was a “significant step towards the reconstruction and independence of the region”.
He added: “The British have been privileged to help in the training of Iraqi firefighters and air traffic controllers in order to make this possible”.
The flight is expected to mark the beginning of regular flights linking Basra, Baghdad and the northern city of Arbil.
Scheduled flights to Basra are planned to continue around three times-a-week, with more routes to neighbouring countries planned for later in the year.
