Aegean Airlines on Sunday operated its first flight between Athens and Erbil. The route will run twice a week, with flights scheduled on Wednesdays and Sundays between Athens International Airport and Erbil International Airport.

Additionally, travelers can book connecting flights via Athens to other cities in Europe, including Barcelona and Amsterdam, according to the website of Aegean Airlines.

Nikolaos Stergioulas, Consul General of Greece in Erbil, told Kurdistan Chronicle that this step “will further strengthen ties between Greece and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.”

He also hopes there will be more flights between the Kurdistan Region and Greece in the future, if there is demand.

Recently, other routes have been launched from Erbil, including a new flight between Erbil and London on June 14 run by UR Airlines.