The King Abdulaziz International Airport here on Wednesday received the first regular scheduled direct flight between the Kingdom and Iraq. Flight No. XY612 of Flynas arrived in Jeddah from the Iraqi city of Irbil Wednesday morning with 174 passengers aboard. Flynas will fly directly from Irbil to Jeddah twice weekly, on Wednesdays and on Sundays, and other carriers such as flyadeal and Saudi Arabian Airlines are expected to follow suit at the beginning of May. The resumption of regular flights between the Kingdom and Iraq is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council, and of the support and guidance of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman. The flights are bound to boost economic ties and investment, improve trade relations, and facilitate the movement of passengers, tourists, pilgrims and Umrah performers between the two brotherly countries. As part of its national aviation strategy, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) seeks to increase air connectivity to 250 destinations, carry 330 million passengers and increase the capacity of air cargo to 4.5 million tons by 2030. — SPA
