BA plant Baghdad ab Oktober anzufliegen

[Sabo]

Dieses hier steht heute in der Sunday Times:

 

BA to resume scheduled flights to Baghdad

Dominic O’Connell

 

BRITISH AIRWAYS is poised to resume scheduled services to Baghdad, the war-torn capital of Iraq, after a gap of more than 13 years.

Rod Eddington, BA’s chief executive, is understood to have held talks with Alistair Darling, the transport secretary, to explain the airline’s plans. BA is expected to confirm tomorrow that it intends to fly three times a week to Baghdad from Heathrow, with services likely to start in October.

 

BA suspended flights in 1990 amid the build-up to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It had served the Iraqi capital for more than 60 years, with the first flights operated in 1929 by Imperial Airways, one of BA’s forerunners. BA remains Britain’s nominated airline for UK-Iraq flights under a 1951 treaty between the countries.

 

Eddington said: “We have been in discussions for some time about relief flights and resuming scheduled services. We are keen to re-establish regular services as soon as political security returns to the country. We have the rights to fly to Iraq and we are now awaiting confirmation that it is safe to return.”

 

But the company’s plans are likely to face fierce opposition from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson, the chairman, is understood to have offered the airline’s services to the British government for humanitarian and aid flights to Iraq. Sources at the airline said that it was eager to operate its own scheduled flights to Baghdad.

 

Airline executives believe Virgin Atlantic will now ask the Civil Aviation Authority for a licence to fly between London and Iraq. This could trigger a hearing at which CAA officials will have to adjudicate on who operates the Baghdad flights.

 

Virgin is likely to argue that BA’s historic rights no longer apply because of the long break in service, and because of the change in administration in Iraq. It is also possible that another UK airline — such as BMI British Midland — could lodge its own claim for the Iraq service.

 

It is likely to be a lucrative route. Defence, aid and reconstruction personnel are expected to pour into the country, with most US traffic likely to be routed through London.

 

Sources at BA said the airline has enjoyed strong demand for its services to Pristina in Kosovo, thanks to the huge international-aid programme.

 

BA plans to start services in the autumn, but sources at the company said that it would accelerate plans if government clearances were forthcoming.

 

Meanwhile, the American government is pressing ahead with its plans to rebuild Iraq. On Friday, Computer Sciences Corporation said it had won a US State Department contract to provide 1,000 advisers to help rebuild the Iraqi legal system.

 

British contractors have welcomed the appointment of Bechtel, the American construction group, as the US Agency for International Development’s main reconstruction contractor.

 

The chief executive of one leading British building company said: “We have very good contacts with Bechtel, so it makes us a bit more hopeful about securing work in Iraq.”

[Sabo]

Gulf Air hat gestern auch bekanntgegeben so schnell wie möglich Baghdad wieder anfliegen zu wollen.

Auch Virgin bekundet Interesse.

[vincent]

na ja AUA wollte ja auch so bald wie möglich Kabul anfliegen

[Gast]

Wie sieht denn die Situation am Flughafen von Bagdad aus? Ist dort denn derzeit eine reguläre Abfertigung von PAXmaschinen möglich?

[Sabo]

Das steht heute bei justplanes:

 

World Airways (Apr28, 2003)

Filed an application with DOT to start service from Washington Dulles to Baghdad. If approved the airline proposes 3 MD11 flighta a week with stopovers in Geneva and Kabul (Afghanistan).

 

North American (Apr28, 2003)

Filed an application with DOT to start service from New York JFK to Baghdad, Kabul and Kuwait with stopover in Geneva

[GM.AMS]

Das konnte ich mir auch nicht anders vorstellen, dass erstmal amerikanische Airlines zum Zuge kommen.

Wie erfolgversprechend können denn diese Linienversuche dieser Nischencarrier sein?

[Sabo]

Nunja, diese Route wird wohl von Soldaten leben: In Amerika rein, in Genf auftanken, in Kabul ein paar alte Soldaten gegen neue, frische austauschen und in Bagdad dasgleiche. Dann mit den müden Kriegern wieder nach Hause und das ganze von vorne.

[GM.AMS]

Hm, ich denke dass die Army-Flüge etwas anderes sind, die werden zwar auch oft von World durchgeführt, aber hier dreht es sich doch offensichtlich um "normale" Linienflüge? Ich kann mir zwar vorstellen, dass es einen Markt geben wird, aber wie erfolgreich kann denn eine World oder North American mit solchen vereinzelten Linien-Ops sein, wo sie doch kaum 'ne weitverzweigte Verkaufsorganisation haben und ihre Flüge nicht durch ausgebreitete Zubringer verlässlich füllen?

Im übrigen wird das amerikanische Militär sein Personal wohl weiter mit eigenen Vollchartern austauschen und transportieren und weniger auf solche vereinzelten Liniendienste ausweichen (jedenfalls im Falle von grossen Kontingenten)?

[Sabo]

Heute ist zum ersten Mal seit dem "Ende" des Krieges eine nicht militärische Maschine , eine B747 von Virgin auf dem Flughafen von Basra gelandet.