Russian airlines vie for Iraq flights

Saddam International Airport was reopened in August

Russia's second airline Vnukovo says it plans to fly a group of European parliamentarians and 11 Nobel prizewinners direct from Paris to Baghdad later this month.

The announcement comes as Vnukovo and Russia's main airline, Aeroflot, are competing to become the first foreign carrier to re-establish regular international flights from Baghdad airport since the 1991 Gulf War.

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Vnukovo deputy chairman Sergei Isakov said the flight from Paris on 29 September would carry 120 passengers, including members of the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly and its deputy speaker.

Russia, which challenges the validity of flight bans into Baghdad, sent a consignment of humanitarian aid and passengers to the Iraqi capital on Sunday, with United Nations approval.

"No permits are necessary for passenger flights to Iraq, but it has become common practice to ask permission from the Security Council," Mr Isakov said.

Russia argues that UN sanctions against Iraq, imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, only ban the shipment of cargo - not passengers - into the country.

UN dispute

The United States says it opposes a resumption of flights to Iraq on the basis that UN sanctions ban all commercial transactions with Iraq.

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Russia supports a general relaxation of sanctions - which Baghdad says are responsible for thousands of civilian deaths each month - against strong opposition from the US and UK.

Another Russian humanitarian consignment is expected to land in Baghdad in the next 10 days.

In the past, most supplies and visitors to Iraq have had to take a long overland detour via Jordan.

Economic pressures

Vnukovo has chartered a Tupolev-154M plane for the Paris-Baghdad flight.

"It is unknown whether they will see President Saddam Hussein, but one can tell for sure that they will meet deputy prime ministers Taha Yasin Ramadan and Tariq Aziz," Mr Isakov said.

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The delegation is due to attend a conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the introduction of UN sanctions against Iraq.

Mr Isakov added that a resumption of flights to Iraq only represented a small business for Vnukovo, even if it meant daily flights.

However, Iraq has signed an agreement to supply 10 Tupolev-204 aircraft with a manufacturing consortium of which Vnukovo is a member.

"You cannot make big money on this - but the purchase of 10 aircraft is quite another thing," Mr Isakov said, hence the company's need to "play politics".

On Tuesday, an Iraqi paper said Baghdad would be opening negotiations to buy 20 Airbus aircraft to modernise the Iraqi Airways fleet.

However, a spokesman from the European Airbus consortium played down the report, saying the consortium would abide by economic sanctions.