Iraq puts pre-war fleet up for sale

Iraq is to sell four Boeing 727 and two Boeing 707s that are currently stored among a series of other out-of-service aircraft on a remote part of Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan.

The aircraft were flown to Amman at the start of the first Gulf War in 1990. Plans to repatriate them at the end of the conflict faltered due to legal claims by the Kuwaitis over compensation. The aircraft have remained in Jordan ever since.

According to sources in Jordan, the Iraqis had been planning to restore the aircraft to full airworthiness but as storage fees continued to add up and the restoration work increased so it became increasingly unviable.

The dry heat of the desert around the Jordanian capital has made it an ideal storage location but it appears the aircraft are beyond salvage for airworthiness.

It is understood that there are several other aircraft in storage in Tunisia. They are not ;art of this sale which is being managed by the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.

Iraqi Airways has been leasing aircraft in order to restart operations and has been working with the Iraqi Government to secure funding guarantees for acquisition of Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft as well as Bombardier CRJ900s.