Iraq resumed direct air travel with Europe on Tuesday as the first European aircraft in 35 years landed at Baghdad International Airport, the Ministry of Transport announced.

Axar.az informs, citing Shafaq, in a statement, the ministry said the flight followed months of work to meet European operational, technical, and security standards, including upgrades to airport infrastructure. The service, operated by Greece’s Aegean Airlines, now runs twice weekly on the Baghdad–Athens–Baghdad route, with potential for expansion based on demand.

European airlines suspended flights to Baghdad in the late 1980s amid security risks linked to the Iran–Iraq War, followed by decades of sanctions and instability that curtailed commercial air traffic. In a separate measure, the European Union placed Iraqi Airways on its Air Safety List in 2015, citing safety and regulatory shortcomings.