On the side-lines of the Munich Security Conference, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein asked Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to reinstate direct commercial flights between Baghdad and Vienna, suspended in 2020 over security and insurance concerns. The request, revealed in a statement from Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on 15 February 2026, cites a ‘considerable improvement’ in Iraq’s domestic security environment and points to growing business travel between the two capitals.
Austrian flag-carrier Austrian Airlines exited the route during the COVID-19 downturn and did not return after European regulators tightened risk assessments for over-flights of conflict zones. Restarting service would shave at least four hours off current one-stop itineraries via Istanbul or Doha and could prove attractive for the roughly 27,000 Iraqi nationals resident in Austria.
For passengers eager to take advantage of any resumed nonstop service, VisaHQ can simplify the visa process from either end. Through its dedicated Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), the platform lets travellers and corporate mobility teams check the latest Iraqi-Austrian entry rules, assemble required documents and submit applications online, reducing lead-times and ensuring compliance before tickets are booked.
![Baghdad Presses Vienna to Restore Direct Baghdad–Vienna Flights Amid Security Improvements]()
From a mobility-management perspective, a nonstop link would simplify compliance for corporate travellers: single-ticket itineraries reduce missed-connection risks and ease duty-of-care tracking. Travel-risk providers, however, note that Vienna would need updated security audits of Baghdad International Airport and revised insurance clauses before Austria’s Civil Aviation Authority can lift its current restrictions.
Karner reportedly welcomed the proposal and accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad for technical talks with Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari. Austrian airport operator Flughafen Wien AG confirmed that, pending regulatory green-lights, slots could be made available for three weekly rotations as early as the winter 2026/27 season.
For global-mobility teams the development bears watching: a revived route would facilitate project work in Iraq’s oil and construction sectors, potentially increasing demand for Austrian work permits for Iraqi engineers seconded to Vienna-based EPC contractors.
Austrian flag-carrier Austrian Airlines exited the route during the COVID-19 downturn and did not return after European regulators tightened risk assessments for over-flights of conflict zones. Restarting service would shave at least four hours off current one-stop itineraries via Istanbul or Doha and could prove attractive for the roughly 27,000 Iraqi nationals resident in Austria.
For passengers eager to take advantage of any resumed nonstop service, VisaHQ can simplify the visa process from either end. Through its dedicated Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), the platform lets travellers and corporate mobility teams check the latest Iraqi-Austrian entry rules, assemble required documents and submit applications online, reducing lead-times and ensuring compliance before tickets are booked.
From a mobility-management perspective, a nonstop link would simplify compliance for corporate travellers: single-ticket itineraries reduce missed-connection risks and ease duty-of-care tracking. Travel-risk providers, however, note that Vienna would need updated security audits of Baghdad International Airport and revised insurance clauses before Austria’s Civil Aviation Authority can lift its current restrictions.
Karner reportedly welcomed the proposal and accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad for technical talks with Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari. Austrian airport operator Flughafen Wien AG confirmed that, pending regulatory green-lights, slots could be made available for three weekly rotations as early as the winter 2026/27 season.
For global-mobility teams the development bears watching: a revived route would facilitate project work in Iraq’s oil and construction sectors, potentially increasing demand for Austrian work permits for Iraqi engineers seconded to Vienna-based EPC contractors.
