Iraqi Airways has 30 aircraft on order. The carrier sees huge potential in both religious traffic and Iraqi living abroad. The EU flight ban list was put on the carrier in June 2020 due to safety concerns.
Ten of the Boeing 787-8 are ours. We are trying to convert a few of them to the 787-9. There are 16 MAX 8 on order. We ordered them five years ago.
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Iraqi Airways has an advisor to the CEO.
One of the five A220-300 that we have on order has already been delivered and a second will be delivered in November. The first 787 should join the fleet in February or March of 2022.
Most of the new aircraft are for growth. The Bombardier CRJ fleet could be phased out. He said that they would double their fleet and become a medium-size airline.
Iraqi Airways has a mix of Bombardier CRJ 900s, Boeing B777s, and two B747-400s. Two B767s have been phased out.
There are 24 aircraft in operation.
Iraqi Airways B747.
The challenge is to have employees with aviation experience in a country that has improved safety. There are no expatriates working at Iraqi Airways. He said that the checks for the aircraft are done in Baghdad.
Network expansion.
Iraqi Airways will carry close to two million passengers this year. 40% are on domestic routes. He said that they have a lot of potential in Iraq.
The network should be increased. 70% of our business is religious. Many of our passengers are visiting the holy Iraqi city of Najaf.
Iraqi Airways flies to six destinations in Turkey. Iraqi Airways plan to improve utilization by 40% for the coming winter schedule, and seven to eight destinations should be added, like in Pakistan. We are not flying to Africa at all, but we would have a lot of movement of religious traffic to and from Africa.
There are 10 to 15 million refugees from Iraq who have settled in Europe or America. These are the potential customers of ours. There are Iraqis all over the world. More than 100.000 people are scattered in the US.
There is airline competition in Baghdad. Local competition is still going strong. Fly Bagdad and Ur Airlines are privately owned. He said thatUr Airlines is taking a bit of the domestic market.
The EU Blacklist is being moved out.
The EU has given Iraqi Airways all the help it needs to clear the audit. We want to reach more than 90 percent. We need to complete 98%. We do everything that is necessary and we are ready.
Iraqi Airways has five destinations in Europe, the number should double to ten once the ban is lifted.
The service on board was not very good. He said that they try to improve that segment and work very hard on it.
Breakfast on Iraqi Airways.
Iraqi Airways sells most of its tickets via classical GDS streams. Only a few percent will be booked online. The new agreement with Amadeus should increase online bookings.
Iraqi Airways to Baghdad.
