Grounded by sanctions and war, things looking up for Iraqi Airways DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? For the last decade, the uniformed counter clerks at Iraqi Airways reported to work and just drank tea. Most of the country's passenger fleet was grounded overseas and barred from regular flights by United Nations sanctions. Now remnants of its meager domestic fleet lie bombed to bits. But things may be looking up for its hundreds of flight attendants, pilots and mechanics. Iraqi Airways could get off the ground again in a new Iraq flush with international reconstruction traffic and reborn as a member of the international community. Obstacles remain, including continued U.N. sanctions and a jetliner fleet scattered around the Middle East. But increased travel demand, an airport infrastructure and an experienced staff could speed the revival of a national carrier. Underlining resurgent interest in air travel to Iraq, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both announced plans this month to resume regular flights to Baghdad once the airport is ready for civilian traffic. "I think the traffic is there, especially during rebuilding," said Joshua Marks, associate director of George Washington University's Aviation Institute. "The focal point ... will be bringing expats to Baghdad for reconstruction." Building on its strengths, Iraqi Airways could be flying again in two to three years and have 10 planes operable within five, he predicted. The airline could become a regional or domestic partner to a bigger international airline that flies into Baghdad from overseas hubs such as London. Then it could connect passengers to Basra, Mosul or other Middle Eastern points. But first, it needs some planes. Iraq's aging fleet of 15 Boeing airliners was flown out to Jordan, Iran and Tunisia to escape bombing during the 1991 Gulf War. It has not been able to retrieve them; Baghdad claimed Iran's national carrier co-opted some into its own fleet. The airline eventually resumed limited domestic flights in 2000 using, in part, old Russian-made military cargo planes. One of those jets was destroyed during the battle for the Baghdad International Airport earlier this month, its burned-out fuselage lying on the tarmac like a gutted fish with only its tail intact. Building a new 10-plane fleet that serves four domestic cities, Marks said, could cost between $10 million to $30 million ? a small figure compared to reconstruction costs that could reach $600 billion over the next decade. And Iraqi Airways could make an attractive customer to aerospace companies interested in leasing planes or selling new and used ones. Iraq last bought a new Boeing plane in 1982, a jumbo 747. Company spokesman Mark Baughman said it was too early to speculate about new sales. Before the Gulf War, Iraq had signed a $500-million contract with the European consortium Airbus Industrie for five aircraft, for which it had paid a deposit of $10.5 million. Delivery was suspended by sanctions. Those sanctions, imposed as punishment for Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, also bar flights into the country. Discussions have begun on whether and when to lift them. Scott Hamilton, an independent airline consultant in the Seattle area, questioned the wisdom of pursuing an Iraqi airline when so much of the country still lies in shambles. "Countries like to have their own flag carriers and there's a certain amount of prestige to that," he said. "But you have to have your government, your safety agency, your personnel, you have to train them, you have to acquire airplanes." During the sanction years, Iraqi Airways tried to retain talent by turning its Baghdad offices into stores and communication centers. It earned revenue by selling food and soft drinks, loaning pilots to foreign countries and setting up workshops to repair equipment and machinery. It kept many of its 2,300 workers, but how many remain after the war is unclear. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.pscutt.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************