Lufthansa to resume flights to Iraq in April
After a 20-year interval, Lufthansa is resuming flights to Iraq. On 25 April 2010, Germany's largest carrier will launch services from Frankfurt to the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq. Lufthansa customers will have a choice of four flights per week on this new route. Lufthansa will operate the four-and-a-half hour flight with an Airbus A319 with 132 seats in Business and Economy Class.
With the resumption of flights to Iraq, Lufthansa is continuing to expand its route network in the Middle East and will then offer 100 flights per week to 15 destinations in twelve countries. Erbil has been served since 2006 from Vienna by Austrian Airlines, which flies under the Lufthansa Group banner. This flight is operated on a codeshare basis with Lufthansa. Including the new Lufthansa service, Lufthansa customers will thus have a choice of nine flights per week to Erbil.
The demand for flights to Iraq is growing amid signs of an economic recovery and as foreign firms set up operations in the country. With a population of one million, Erbil (also written Arbil), is the fourth-largest city in Iraq and has a rich history spanning several thousands of years. The economy in this region is growing vigorously. Numerous diplomatic and commercial representations, organisations and foreign companies have been set up in Northern Iraq. Erbil International AirportErbil International AirportLoading... has recently been expanded and has a modern passenger terminal.
For more information and flight reservations, please visit the Lufthansa website at www.lufthansa.com or contact the local Lufthansa sales office in Dubai on 04-3432121 or Abu Dhabi on 02-6394602, or Lufthansa-designated travel agencies.
Lufthansa still intends to resume flights this summer to the Iraqi capital Baghdad and is currently making the necessary preparations to do so.
The new route at a glance
Airports/
Three-letter-code/
Time zone (summer)
Frankfurt, Terminal 1 (FRA); UTC + 2 hrs
Erbil International Airport (EBL); UTC + 3 hrs
Schedule
(all times are local times; summer time)
NEW from 25 April 2010
Flights operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
LH 696 Frankfurt 10:15 hrs - Erbil 15:40 hrs
LH 697 Erbil 16:45 hrs - Frankfurt 20:25 hrs
Flight duration
(average)
Distance
3,209 km/1,994 miles
Aircraft type
Airbus A319
Seats
132 seats (Business / Economy)