First Flight In 20 Years

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport witnessed the first flight from Iraq after 20 years on Monday. Reportedly, this is the first flight of Iraq after a span of 20 years which completed a round trip voyage all the way from Baghdad.

Passengers as well as the airport authorities were excited about the first flight from Iraq after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The first flight was Al-Wafeer Boeing 747-400 which completed a journey of 2 hours and 15 minutes before it landed at the Haj Terminal at 9.30 P.M. The first flight carried 450 Iraqis who were headed to celebrate “Umrah” and pay a visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina.

One of the passengers told the media that Iraq’s first flight after a long span of 20 years has filled his heart with happiness and joy. He said that it was like “finding a new baby”. As it was the first flight after the 1990 invasion, Saudi captain Ghassan Al-Hakeem along with fourteen flight attendants took special care of the passengers. The captain said that he has been flying planes in and out of Baghdad for over 25 years now and it makes him a very happy man to witness the renewed relation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.Saudi youths celebrated the grand occasion and received all passengers of the first flight with prayer carpets and flowers. Saudi airline officials informed that there shall be two flights per week which will take the passengers from Jeddah to Baghdad and from Jeddah to Al-Basra. In the near future they have plans in store to employ a total of 747 planes along with 30 pilots flying 19 flights during the “Umrah” season.