Saturday, March 10, 2007
Commercial flights between BIAP and Kuwait City
Travel
(Stars and Stripes) An American-owned aviation company is offering direct commercial flights between Kuwait City and the military side of Baghdad International Airport (BIAP), officials announced this week. Gryphon Airlines, a freight and charter firm headquartered in Vienna, Va., flew its first civilian charter from Kuwait to Baghdad on Feb. 25, and now offers the service three days per week.
Earl Gibbs, the president and CEO of the company said in a news release that the firm is employing both aviation industry and military veterans to fly, staff and service the routes. The Gryphon flights are open to “all personnel holding authorization to enter and transit Sather Air Force Base” at BIAP, the company said in its news release. Gryphon touts its service as a way for people to travel directly from the U.S. military complex to the commercial Kuwait City airport, then on to Europe or the United States.
For example, a traveler can get on a 9:15 p.m. flight from Baghdad, then catch a connection and be in Washington, D.C., by 6:30 a.m. on a long-haul carrier. According to booking information on the company’s Web site, a nonrefundable ticket for the flights costs $550. A government rate is available, but that price was not on the bookings site. Most of the government-rate tickets are sold out for weeks in advance, according to the online booking system.
The flights are on ATR 72 aircraft, officials said. That airframe is French-built and can seat up to 72 passengers, according to information on its manufacturer’s Web site. Gryphon is not new to flying in Iraq. According to company officials, it already flies to cities including Balad and Mosul, along with flights to Kabul and Kandahar in Afghanistan. Gryphon is partnering with Swiftair, another air transport company, to run the Iraq service. http://www.flygryphon.com/
Labels: BIAP, flights, Gryphon Airlines, Swiftair
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Turkish airline to start weekly flights to Turkish coast from Erbil
Travel
(Anatolia New Agency) The Head of the Turkish company, "Ivan Air", said on Saturday that the company located in the north of Iraq will start next April two weekly flights between Erbil and tourist resorts in the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Seamus ضzcan told the Anatolian News Agency that "Iraqis are showing an increasing interest in tourist sites in the southern Turkish coast". There will be special "charter" flights directly between Erbil and the Turkish resort of Antalya, which annually attracts thousands of tourists. ضzcan explained that the first flight is scheduled for April 25. He added that if the project succeeds, the company will increase the rate of flights and introduce new flights to Istanbul. Another Turkish company called "Fly Air" has been making direct flights since December 2005 between Istanbul and northern Iraq.
Labels: flights, Fly Air, Ivan Air, Kurdistan, Turkey
