Direct flights between Erbil and Prague to begin: Diplomat

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil will begin first-ever direct flights with the Czech Republic’s capital Prague every Monday from now on, the European country’s diplomat announced on Monday.

The Czechia Consul General Karel Kortanek announced the new flight route in a presser in Erbil along with Lawand Mamudi director of Fly Erbil airline company. 

Flights between the Kurdish and European capitals will be on every Monday, according to the diplomat.

This is the second time this year that Erbil International Airport has been able to accommodate new direct routes between the Kurdish city and a European capital.

In May, direct flights began between Erbil and France's Paris. This was the first such flight between the two destinations since 2005.

Czechia is a member of the European Union’s Schengen Area, where travelers could visit more than 20 European countries without border restrictions.

Iraq’s semi-autonomous region and the European country share tourist, industrial, economic, agricultural, and archeological ties, the diplomat told Kurdistan 24 on Monday following the announcement.

“I hope this direct flight [would be] a great opportunity to bring new Czech companies into the Region,” Kortanek told Kurdistan 24.

Mamudi told the press conference that "the Consul General Kortanek promised him to further facilitate the process of the visa issuance for the people of the Kurdistan Region."    

Additional reporting conducted by Kurdistan 24 Correspondent Nawras Abdulla