Najaf airport may offer flights for Hajj

NAJAF, Iraq, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The Najaf International Airport in Iraq will begin offering flights to several regional hubs, possibly in time for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Najaf airport has scheduled flights to Mecca in Saudi Arabia in December, with the first flights to Tehran and Dubai planned for the middle part of the month, the Iraqi daily Azzaman reported. The Islamic calendar is based on a lunar year, meaning the Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam, begins Dec. 7.

The national carrier, Iraqi Airways, said it has received several requests to plan regular flights from Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Azzaman noted the announcement heralded a remarkable accomplishment in the Shiite holy city that was besieged in April 2004 when supporters of radical Moqtada Sadr staged an uprising against American forces following moves to arrest the influential cleric.

The airport in Najaf will receive around 14 flights weekly from Iran beginning in 2009. Najaf is the holiest city in the Shiite faith and home to the shrine of Imam Ali, whom Shiites view as the rightful successor to the prophet Mohammad.