Erbil, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, will join the Emirates network starting from August 12.

Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, will be the third Iraqi destination for Emirates after Basra and Baghdad. It will also be the carrier's 17th passenger destination in the Middle East.

The new service between Emirates’ hub in Dubai and Erbil will initially operate four times a week, increasing to a daily service from September 1.  Emirates will fly its Airbus 340-300 on the route, offering 267 seats in a three-class configuration and more than 13 tonnes of cargo capacity. 

In addition, Emirates will introduce three additional flights between Dubai and Basra, the Iraqi southern port city, increasing the service from four to seven flights per week as from August 1.

The extra flights will increase existing capacity by 79  per cent per week in both directions, making it easier for both business and leisure travellers in Basra to connect seamlessly with key industry hubs in the US and Europe.

Emirates operates flights on a daily schedule from Malta to Dubai via Larnaka, Cyprus.