Iraq to resume flights between Baghdad and Beirut in 2025

Iraq will resume flights between Baghdad and Beirut next week following a three-week suspension, Iraq’s Transport Minister Razzaq Muhibis Al-Saadawi announced on Saturday.

The flights, which were halted on Dec. 8 amid the collapse of Syria’s Assad regime, are set to restart early in 2025, according to the official news agency INA.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani directed the resumption of flights “to meet the needs of Iraq’s guests, including Lebanese citizens wishing to voluntarily return to their country.”

Iraqi Airways General Manager Manaf Abdul Munim confirmed that the airline had “completed all technical and logistical preparations” to resume voluntary evacuation flights. Scheduled flights between Baghdad and Beirut will begin again on January 1, 2025.

“This step will facilitate air travel between Iraq and Lebanon and boost trade and tourism exchange between the two brotherly countries,” Munim said.

The airline plans to operate seven weekly flights initially, with the potential to double the frequency based on demand and situational assessments.

The suspension of flights was prompted by “current security developments in Syrian airspace,” which serves as the main corridor for these routes.