ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi transport ministry announced Tuesday that Baghdad International Airport had received its first European flight from Athens through Aegean Airlines, ending a 35-year hiatus.

"The flight is operating on the Baghdad-Athens-Baghdad route with a regular schedule of two flights per week, with the possibility of increasing the number of flights in the future depending on demand and occupancy rates," read a statement from the ministry.

The ministry noted that the airport's return to the European aviation map came as a result of fulfilling "operational, technical, and security requirements," and upgrading the infrastructure of the country's airports to meet international standards.

Several months before Tuesday's flight, Aegean Airlines carried out its first direct flight to Erbil International Airport in February, on a schedule of two flights per week by the carrier, adding Greece to a catalog of European countries that operate direct flights with Erbil, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. 

The Greece-based carrier's flight to Baghdad, however, marks the "first time a European airline has landed in Baghdad in over three decades," according to the statement, adding that Oman Air is also set to launch flights from Baghdad International Airport to Europe in the future.

The transport ministry in late November reported that it is making “major progress” toward lifting the European Union’s ban on the country’s flagship Iraqi Airways and is preparing to open new aviation projects by the end of the year and early 2026.

Ministry spokesperson Maytham al-Safi told state media at the time that the country is close to completing International Air Transport Association (IOSA) requirements by the end of 2025, a key step before advancing to the European Aviation Safety Agency’s Third Country Operators (TCO) certification, a process that would allow Iraqi Airways to reenter European airspace after years of restrictions.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said in April that Baghdad international airport "must have the facilities, services, and management needed to attract more passengers and generate revenue," adding that the goal is to select "the best coalition, company, or investor" to make the airport a successful example of Iraq's promise to external investors.