Iraqi Airways is coming to London

class="alignright size-full wp-image-16390" title="Iraqi Airways" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Iraqi-Airways.jpg" alt="Iraqi Airways" width="259" height="194" />Iraqi Airways has announced that it will operate its first commercial flight from Baghdad to the British capital for more than 20 years on Saturday (24 April).

The flag carrier had hoped to launch flights to href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Gatwick/">London Gatwick last week, but was forced to revise its schedule after UK flights were grounded by the volcanic ash cloud.

Services will be operated twice a week on Saturday and Monday, though the airline hopes to increase frequencies to five times a week within the next three months.

Iraq’s Transport Minister and other officials had planned to travel on last Friday’s flight, which was due to stop over in Malmo in Sweden for additional security checks.

Iraqi Airways was grounded during the first Gulf War in 1990 but has recently been able to resume international flights as the political situation in the country stabilises. Last year, the flag carrier operated its first service to the EU for two decades when it flew to the Greek capital Athens via Stockholm.

German flag carrier Lufthansa will also begin href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Iraq/">flights to Iraq this weekend, launching a four-times weekly service from Frankfurt to the northern city of Erbil on Sunday (25 April).

© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons image: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aheram/316293393/" target="_blank">Jayel Aheram / Flickr)