Tashkent and Baghdad consider launching direct flights to expand tourism and trade

Abdulaziz Akkulov, the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, met with Hayder Ali Hadi, the Director General of the Iraqi Economic Council, on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF–2026). The dialogue centered on maximizing the commercial and travel potential arising from a growing mutual interest in cross-border mobility.

The proposed direct air corridor between Baghdad and Tashkent is seen as a crucial step toward establishing regular passenger and business traffic. Alongside aviation logistics, both sides prioritized joint marketing campaigns to promote national travel destinations, closer cooperation between tour operators, and coordinated industry initiatives to capture untapped market shares in both countries.

To sustain this momentum, the two delegations agreed to increase structured interactions between their respective travel sectors. Future plans include organizing dedicated business missions and targeted business-to-business (B2B) matching events to foster direct commercial ties.

The aviation and tourism talks coincided with broader institutional engagement at the forum. The Iraqi Economic Council and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan formally established a joint business council during TIIF–2026, convening its first official session to drive bilateral projects in high-growth fields, including the food production and electrical engineering industries.