Berlin:German airline Eurowings has announced plans to operate direct flights between Baghdad and Berlin starting this December.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the flights will commence on December 10, with Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, scheduling four direct flights per week. There will be two flights from Berlin and two from Düsseldorf each week to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. This initiative will complement the existing flights connecting Erbil with various German cities.

The increase in flights is in response to the rising number of travelers from Germany to Iraq as part of the “visiting friends and relatives” program by Eurowings. The airline aims to capitalize on the current scarcity of direct connections between Baghdad and Europe, enhancing its presence as an international carrier in the Middle East. This comes after the airline launched approximately 38 new routes in Europe and the Middle East.

The new routes also aim to support business travel between Germany and Iraq, following Prime Min
ister Ali Al-Zaidi’s visit to Germany. During his visit, Al-Zaidi encouraged German businesses to expand in Iraq and promised to alleviate administrative hurdles, including granting visas upon arrival to streamline processes.

These flights are expected to benefit over half a million Iraqis living in Germany, enabling them to maintain connections with family and friends, thereby strengthening social and cultural ties between the two nations.