Iraqi Airways sells off Kuwait invasion-era fleet

> * Fleet sent to neighbours after Kuwait invasion By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD, June 19 (Reuters) - State-owned Iraqi Airways is offering one of its old Boeing jetliners for sale as scrap as it continues to sell off remnants of a decades-old fleet moved to neighbouring countries after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The 737-200, parked for years at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, had been used by Saddam Hussein's government to transport VIPs, according to the Iraqi Airways website. "This is one of the old aircraft which cannot be returned to service," said Nasir al-Amiri, an adviser to Iraq's transportation minister. "There were six aircraft (in Jordan). We sold five and this is the last one." "This is not a part of fleet modernization.

"> * Fleet sent to neighbours after Kuwait invasion By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD, June 19 (Reuters) - State-owned Iraqi Airways is offering one of its old Boeing jetliners for sale as scrap as it continues to sell off remnants of a decades-old fleet moved to neighbouring countries after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait"It's an old airplane and to get it back would cost huge amounts of money," Amiri said. Iraq was largely shut off from the world after Saddam's troops invaded Kuwait in 1990, triggering U.N. sanctions. Thirteen Boeing 707, 727 and 737 aircraft were sent by Hussein's government to Jordan, Tunisia and Iran to keep them safe from alliance airstrikes after the start of the war to liberate Kuwait, officials said. Economic sanctions, political disputes and other factors prevented Iraq from maintaining or retrieving the aircraft.

In some cases they were held due to compensation issues related to the Kuwait invasion and the Iran-Iraq war. Iraq is getting back on the international air traffic map after years of violence as the prospect of multibillion-dollar oil deals lures business travellers. But Baghdad and Kuwait have been locked in a long-running dispute over billions of dollars in reparations, including some $1.2 billion related to aircraft and parts seized during Saddam's invasion. Iraq's government said last year it would dissolve Iraqi Airways within three years to dodge asset claims by Kuwait, whose national airline has pursued court judgements against Iraqi Airways. Last month Kuwait seized the Iraqi Airways office in Amman after obtaining a court ruling there, Iraqi officials said.

"The 737-200, parked for years at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, had been used by Saddam Hussein's government to transport VIPs, according to the Iraqi Airways website""There is no relation between the sale of these planes and the problem with Kuwait Airways. Our technical teams confirmed that there is no economic feasibility of maintaining the aircraft or returning them to Iraq," said Salman al-Behadli, a deputy of the transportation minister. Amiri said Iraq had sold the Boeing jets in Tunis and five of those in Jordan but five remain in Tehran. Behadli said Iraq is negotiating with Tehran over the planes but had not yet reached a political agreement that would allow them to be sold. (Writing by Suadad al-Salhy, Editing by Jim Loney and Angus MacSwan) Aerospace & Defense Industrials.