Latest news with #IraqiAirways
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Inside Saddam Hussein's 1980s stolen private jet that's now used in TV shows
A Cotswold plane scrappage company has been the unlikely resting place of Saddam Hussein's stolen private jet - which is now being used in TV shows and movies, in part due to its excellent 80s interior If you're on the hunt for Saddam Hussein's private jet, you might not think to look in the Cotswolds. Yet, it's in this picturesque part of England where you'll find the former Iraqi dictator's personal aircraft. Air Salvage International, a plane scrappage firm based at Cotswold Airport, has been the custodian of the VIP-equipped Boeing 727 for nearly a decade. While most of the company's planes are dismantled and sold off, sometimes fetching up to £10 million per jet, managing director Mark Gregory can't bring himself to part with this particular flying not just its connection to Saddam (whose Iraqi Airways nicked Kuwait Airways' entire fleet during the 1990 invasion) that makes it special, but also its retro '80s interior. Originally owned by the Kuwaiti Royal family, the 189-seat jet was gutted of its standard uncomfortable airplane seats and decked out with an array of kitschy furniture that could fill a retirement home. Think plush velour seats with extendable footrests, state-of-the-art JVC TVs embedded into mahogany walls, and glass vases brimming with plastic roses, all sitting next to unopened bottles of champagne. Do you have an idea for an interesting place we can cover? Email webtravel@ Before the Iraqi forces swooped in and commandeered the Kuwaiti fleet, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other wealthy royals used the opulent plane for their global travels. Where there is now a patch of carpet overrun by mould, the Emir once sat on a specially built throne, using radio equipment to issue orders to his staff from 30,000 feet above. Following the Western invasion of Iraq and Saddam's execution, the private jet changed ownership multiple times until it was sold to Air Salvage International by Jersey-based Strong Aviation on 29 June 2016. Now at 45 years old, the aircraft's value is virtually nil and its flying days are over - despite Mark maintaining it in full working order and taking it for a spin on the runway every ten days. These days, it sees most action as a film set for TV programmes and films, including McDonald and Dodds, Casualty, The Lazarus Project, Hijack with Idris Elba, Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, and Doctor Who. Next time you watch a dramatic plane crash or runway scene on screen, keep an eye out for some suspiciously Gloucestershire-like countryside in the background. Or even Mark's arms. When he's not making money from old planes or drumming away in his office by the runway, the ponytailed scrap tycoon can be partially seen on the big screen, "piloting" the Boeing 727 in its latest cinematic adventure. Air Salvage International first began 30 years ago. Armed with redundancy money in the early '90s, Mark bought his first plane and spent six months breaking it down into sellable bits. More than 1,400 aircraft later, the business is thriving and employs dozens of people to cope with the growing demand from the ever-expanding aviation industry. And there are big bucks at stake. The equivalent of a commercial jet's MOT costs around £1 million, which is why many plane owners decide to send their ageing aircraft to Mark instead. Sometimes as much as £12 million can be salvaged from them, either in reusable parts or recyclable materials.
Iraqi News
14-07-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways resumes flights to Iran
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport said on Monday that Iraqi Airways flights to Iran will resume on Tuesday, following a temporary suspension. According to a statement from the ministry, the decision was made in response to directions from Iraqi Minister of Transport Razzaq Al-Saadawi and collaboration with relevant authorities after the regional security situation improved, the state-run news agency (INA) reported. Manaf Abdul-Moneim, Director of Iraqi Airways, revealed that the airline will operate four flights to Iran every week: two from Baghdad International Airport on Tuesdays and Saturdays and two from Najaf International Airport on Wednesdays and Sundays. A day after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement following a 12-day conflict in which Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged missile and drone raids, Iraqi Airways resumed regular flight operations to international and domestic destinations through Baghdad International Airport and Basra International Airport on June 25, 2025. The decision was made after security risks to aviation safety had been eliminated and the airspace had progressively returned to normal conditions. After Israel bombarded Iran on June 13, asserting that it aimed to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons, airlines continued to steer clear of large portions of the Middle East. This avoidance was due to ongoing missile confrontations between Israel and Iran, representing the latest disruption in the region.
Iraqi News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways completes 70% of safety standards to lift EU ban
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, announced on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways has completed 70 percent of the safety requirements needed by the European Union (EU). In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), Al-Saadawi explained that Iraq's national carrier had reached agreements with specialist foreign companies to help Iraqi Airways and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) meet the EU safety requirements. The European Union's ongoing embargo on Iraqi Airways' aircraft has been a significant obstacle for the airline for almost ten years. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) international aviation safety requirements were not met by the company, which is why it was banned. Following the invasion of Kuwait by the previous Iraqi regime and the application of international sanctions on Iraq, Iraqi Airways was banned by the European Union in 1991. Due to violations of air safety regulations, the ban was reinstated in 2015 after having been temporarily lifted in 2009. The issue continues despite Iraq's multiple attempts to have the ban lifted, raising concerns about the underlying reasons for its persistence. According to experts, the primary cause of Iraqi Airways' ongoing European ban is the airline's noncompliance with the safety regulations set out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). To enable Iraqi Airways to meet international standards, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, ordered the adoption of a new administrative organizational structure during a meeting with a delegation from IATA earlier in November. According to Maitham Al-Safi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Transport Ministry, the prohibition is due to the company's failure to comply with international safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Until Baghdad completes the safety standards required by the EU, the ban imposed on Iraqi Airways' access to European airspace since 2015 is a significant obstacle for the Iraqi aviation sector.
Yemen Online
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yemen Online
UAE's Air Arabia to resume flights to Iraq after Iran-Israel truce
Air Arabia, a low-cost carrier located in Sharjah, the UAE, will resume flights to neighboring countries, including Iraq, on July 1, following the reopening of regional airspace after Iran and Israel's 12-day battle. The carrier confirmed the gradual resumption of previously stopped flights as regional airspaces have been reopened following a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel, according to Gulf News. The airline will resume flight operations to Iraqi destinations, including Baghdad, Erbil, and Basra. Air Arabia will also restart flights to Iran, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Iraqi Airways resumed flights on Wednesday, a day after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement following a 12-day conflict in which Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged missile and drone raids. After Israel struck Iran on June 13, claiming that its goal was to prevent the country from getting nuclear weapons, airlines continued to avoid huge sections of the Middle East. This avoidance was due to continuous missile clashes between Israel and Iran, the most recent interruption in the region.
Iraqi News
25-06-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq loses $250,000 per day due to airspace closure
Baghdad ( – Iraq lost at least $250,000 per day after deciding to close its airspace due to the exchange of missile attacks between Iran and Israel. Before the conflict arose, more than 700 planes flew over Iraq on a daily basis, and many of them have since been redirected to other countries' airspace, according to Shafaq News. Foreign airlines' service charge losses do not include those incurred by Iraqi Airways, Iraq's national carrier, which has ceased the majority of its domestic and international flights. According to Iraqi specialists, a passenger airplane using Iraqi airspace pays $450 in transit fees, while cargo airplanes spend roughly $700. Member of the Iraqi parliament's transport committee, Amer Abdul-Jabbar, indicated that Iraq has incurred significant losses since the airspace was closed on June 13 due to the Iran-Israel war. According to Abdul-Jabbar, direct losses are expected to be more than $250,000 a day, excluding losses incurred by Iraqi Airways as well as indirect costs incurred by foreign airlines, Iraq's airports, and ground services within the country. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, claiming that it was preventing Tehran from getting nuclear weapons, airlines continued to avoid huge sections of the Middle East. This avoidance was due to ongoing missile confrontations between Israel and Iran, the latest disruption in the region.
