It is a remarkable turnaround for a company that only restarted domestic commercial oper-ations in 2005 after 13 years of war and sanctions. Despite the huge cost, by investing in the national airline, the government should see a return on its outlay that goes far beyond the financial.

National flag carriers across the world remain deep sources of pride and icons of national identity to their populations, even in nations that have not endured years of war and deprivation.

The boost to Iraq’s self-esteem of a flourishing national airline would be immense.

More prosaically, it would allow Iraqis to travel around the country without facing long and potentially dangerous road journeys.

A burgeoning regional network would also reconnect Iraq with its vast diaspora of citizens across the Middle East who have fled or been displaced by conflict. A functioning aviation infrastructure connecting Iraq to the outside world could persuade many of them to return, bringing renewed political and commercial expertise and reversing the brain drain that has been so debilitating to the reconstruction effort within the country.

The airline faces many challenges and will endure stiff competition when it re-emerges fully into the Middle East market, which has thrived in its absence.

In the short term, however, the prospect of a national airline competing again in a global market and carrying the Iraqi flag around the globe will be welcomed by Iraqis everywhere.