Dubai's Emirates Airlines on Sunday resumed flights to Baghdad after a 20-year hiatus, when an Airbus A-330 landed at the Iraqi capital's airport, a transport ministry statement said.
"I insisted on opening this line in order to strengthen the links between the two brotherly countries after a suspension of at least two decades, due to the policies of the former regime" of Saddam Hussein, Transport Ministry Hadi al-Amari said in the statement.
Iraqis travelling on Emirates from Baghdad are to receive a free visa to the United Arab Emirates for a one-month period. According to Emirates' website, there will be four flights between Baghdad and Dubai per week. Emirates has flown to the south Iraq port city of Basra since February.