First Kuwaiti flight to Iraq in 22 years

NAJAF, April 17 (AKnews) – Najaf Airport witnessed the landing of the Kuwaiti passenger plane in 22 years after relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated when Iraq’s Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait in 1991.

The Airbus 320 operated by the Jazeera Airways landed at 06:00 pm arrying on board the ambassadors of the two countries.

The low-fare airline is expected to operate two flights per week between the two neighboring countries.

The flight comes after the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited Kuwait last month to resolve tw-decades long disputes with Kuwait. The PM agreed with Kuwiti authorities on March 14 that Iraq pay US$500 million in debts to Kuwait.

Under the agreement, Iraq wil pay US$300 million to Kuwait in cash, while the rest will be invested in an Iraqi-Kuwaiti airline in return for Kuwait to end its legal actions against Iraqi airlines from operating flights to the west.

By Salah al-Khuzaie

RY/AKnews


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Hey light. I wonder what the real significance of this is. I am not trying to read something into this article that isn't there but is it possible this could be one part of a "package deal" agreed upon when Maliki visited Kurdistan in March? Maybe I am trying to read something into the article