Baghdad-London flights resume after 20-year break

The first scheduled passenger flight from Baghdad to London in 20 years landed at Gatwick Airport.

Flight IA237, from Iraq via Malmo in Sweden, touched down at 11.08pm last night.

A spokesman for BAA, which runs the airport, said: “We expect there to be two flights a week.

“This flight should have happened last week but it was affected by the ash cloud.”

It is believed the stop in Sweden was a security measure and the flight will return direct to Iraq.

The Iraqi Transport Ministry website said the announcement of the flight was received “with joy and pleasure” by Iraqi exiles in London who previously had to take several flights to return home.