Posted on 05/10/2003 1:39:01 PM PDT by sarcasm
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German airline Lufthansa said on Saturday it was seeking approval to resume flights to Baghdad as soon as possible.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it needed the consent of the authorities in Iraq but hoped to take a decision in a few weeks after clarifying issues such as take-off and landing rights.
``With its oil refineries, Baghdad is the country's leading industrial center and is becoming an increasingly important destination for business travelers,'' it said in a statement.
A spokeswoman said decisions on the frequency of flights and aircraft to be used would be taken once approval was granted.
Other airlines that have expressed an interest in reintroducing flights to the Iraqi capital include Northwest Airlines Corp and Virgin Atlantic.
Lack of paperwork forced the postponement last week of the first commercial flight to Baghdad since U.S.-led forces captured the city in April.
Peter Henderson, a South African businessman, had hoped to charter a aircraft to fly 40 passengers on ``Air Baghdad'' from the Jordanian capital, charging six times the pre-war airfare.
He told Reuters on Thursday that the flight should take place on Sunday.
Lufthansa operated commercial flights to Baghdad from 1956 until 1990.
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