Etihad Crystal Cargo to Launch Baghdad Flights

Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, is to launch a twice weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi airport to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.

The service, which commences on 1 September 2009, will operate every Tuesday and Thursday, with Etihad deploying one of its A300-600 freighters with a payload of 42 tonnes on the route.

Baghdad is Etihad’s first cargo-only destination in the Middle East region and it is the first time in its history that the airline has operated any services to Iraq.

Des Vertannes, executive vice president cargo said, “We are very proud to launch Etihad’s first services to Baghdad and assist in the country’s reconstruction.

“Trade and business ties between the UAE and Iraq continue to grow and we look forward to building a strong customer base in the country, which is widely considered one of the region’s fastest growing markets.”

Flights will operate every Tuesday and Thursday between Abu Dhabi and Baghdad.

Flight EY981 departs from Abu Dhabi at 6am and arrives in Baghdad at 7.15am.

The return flight, EY980, departs from Baghdad at 11.15am and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 2.30pm. All times are local.

With its fleet of two Airbus A300-600 aircraft and an MD11, Etihad Crystal Cargo has 14 cargo freighter destinations, including Frankfurt Haan, Mumbai, Lagos, Colombo and Milan.

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