As the troops fly home so commercial carriers arrive, with French airline Aigle Azur preparing to launch the first direct commercial flights from Paris to Baghdad for 20 years.

As the United States and her allies withdraw military forces from the region, the Tremblay-en-France-based airline hopes to rejuvenate the commercial potential of the route.

Pictured: Commercial aviation is gradually returning to Baghdad Airport

An inaugural flight is planned on October 30th, with commercial partners and business leaders aboard.

A spokesperson added a regular service would begin “in a few weeks”, with two flights a week to the Iraqi capital on offer from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
“We are still waiting for a few points to be finalised,” she added.

Aigle Azur was also looking to negotiate a codeshare deal with Air France to transport passengers arriving in Paris on to Baghdad, allowing the French flag-carrier to offer indirect flights to Iraq for the first time since 1990.

Flights to Baghdad were initially suspended at the start of the Gulf War, with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq preventing the resumption of the service.

Société Aigle Azur Transports Aériens operates domestic scheduled passenger services and international services to Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia in North Africa as well as Portugal, Italy and Mali.

Iraqi Airways in April launched the first direct flights between Baghdad and London in 20 years.

World Mobi

Also in Paris today, World Mobi launched its new city guide.

World Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the World Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.mobi, London.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Paris.City.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, transport, and weather.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.