The first commercial flight between Europe and Iraq in at least 17 years has landed at Baghdad International Airport. Swedish-based company Nordic Leisure says it expects to fly to the Iraqi capital once a week. About 150 passengers, mainly Iraqis, arrived from Denmark on the first such flight since UN sanctions were imposed after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi national carrier Iraqi Airways has said it hopes to start flying routes to Europe in the coming months.

More international arrivals are expected in the next days, including one from Hong Kong, Iraqi Transport Minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail told journalists, AFP news agency reported. Air France-KLM signed a preliminary accord with Iraq just days ago, setting out plans for Iraqi Airways to fly to European destinations.