Oman Air has just launched a new route to Europe, and I can’t help but find this to be one of the most interesting fifth freedom flights we’ve seen from a Gulf carrier.
In this post:
Oman Air adds Muscat to Baghdad to Copenhagen flights
As of December 16, 2025, oneworld member Oman Air has added a new 2x weekly flight between Muscat (MCT) and Copenhagen (CPH) via Baghdad (BGW). The flight will operate with the following schedule:
WY425 Muscat to Baghdad departing 1:00PM arriving 2:55PM
WY425 Baghdad to Copenhagen departing 3:55PM arriving 7:25PM
WY426 Copenhagen to Baghdad departing 8:25PM arriving 3:25AM (+1 day)
WY426 Baghdad to Muscat departing 4:25AM arriving 8:00AM
The segment between Muscat and Baghdad covers a distance of 1,082 miles, and is blocked at 2hr55min westbound and 2hr35min eastbound. The segment between Baghdad and Copenhagen covers a distance of 2,161 miles, and is blocked at 5hr30min westbound and 5hr eastbound.
Note that the flight between Baghdad and Copenhagen is sold as a fifth freedom service. So you can fly this service between Muscat and Baghdad, between Muscat and Copenhagen, and between Baghdad and Copenhagen. Oman Air is marketing this as a new service to both destinations. For those traveling between Muscat and Copenhagen, the entire journey takes 9hr25min eastbound and 8hr35min westbound.
Oman Air is using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 for the new route, featuring 162 seats. This includes 12 recliner seats in business class, and 150 seats in economy.
I find this to be a super intriguing new route!
In 2024, we saw Oman Air launch a restructuring, and as part of this, the airline essentially hopes to shrink into profitability. So we’ve seen the carrier’s wide body fleet get significantly smaller, with the retirement of all Airbus A330s.
As a result, the airline is increasingly operating Boeing 737s in markets where competitors fly some of their largest aircraft. It’s an interesting strategy, because in terms of capturing connecting traffic, you can really only compete on price when you’re offering that kind of product.
For those flying to or from Baghdad, new service to Copenhagen and Muscat is potentially useful. That being said, for all other passengers, I can’t help but wonder how this stopover point will be perceived. Look, I’d love to fly through Baghdad, and really want to fly Iraqi Airways.
However, for the average person on this flight — likely someone who booked a cheap ticket between Bangkok and Copenhagen — I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re caught off guard, and I can see a few social media posts brewing about this, for those who don’t check their ticket carefully.
Again, I’m not suggesting there are actually any safety concerns, or anything, but I’m looking at this purely from an optics perspective. Given the perception some people have of Iraq, I think it’s probably something that will raise eyebrows.
Bottom line
Oman Air has just launched flights to both Baghdad and Copenhagen, with both destinations being served by the same flight. The idea is that Baghdad is on the way to Copenhagen, so this essentially allows the airline to serve two destinations with three different market combinations (beyond connecting traffic).
I think this is pretty cool, though I imagine some passengers who don’t check their tickets carefully will be caught off guard when they see that they’re routing through Baghdad.
What do you make of Oman Air’s new Copenhagen & Baghdad flight?
You had me until I saw the stop in Baghdad. No thanks, I'll find another way to get to Muscat - not on a 737MAX with recliners.
Like Joan Rivers would say...Are you crazy?! Do not travel to Iraq. It's listed as 'avoid all travel' under Canada travel advisories, as 'level 4: do not travel' under US travel advisories, and Baghdad is listed as 'advise against all but essential travel' under the UK foreign travel advice.
For a lily-white traveler with an American accent the risk would be phenomenal. Don't be fooled by travel docos - those people have professional security teams with local contacts, and spend months in the planning. Even then it's still a significant risk. Just stay away. It's not worth it.
Oh man it's Oman!
It’d be much more appealing if they put lie flats on their Max aircraft. They do some long routes. I believe they also just announced Muscat to Singapore on the Max.
Iraqi technology is far more advanced than people realize.
Their scientists are among smartest in the world.
They manufactured invisible WMDs.
Up till today no one can find it yet.
But don't worry, if we get another Bush, we'll go hunt for it again.
It's the second direct connection between Baghdad and Europe after 3 decades. Aeagean Airlines already started a direct service between ATH and BGW.
@Jens - Turkish has been flying to Baghdad from Istanbul for many years, as has Iraqi Airways. Pegasus and AJet also fly the route from Istanbul, but they operate from SAW which is in Asia.
Ah, the ole 'which side of the Bosphorus are we on'....
Before Covid, I would sometimes see very long check-in lines at CPH for flights from Copenhagen to Iraq.
A lot of that Iraq-bound traffic from residents of Sweden and Denmark departing CPH has since been picked up by Turkish airlines.
So this is how the west gets all its doctors and engineers.
Sweden has quite a bunch of Iraqi doctors and pharmacists, and probably a quarter of them originate their trips from Copenhagen.
Without foreign medical graduates, the healthcare systems in many an ethnic European majority country would be even more short-staffed and much more expensive than now.
In Denmark nowadays the demographic group with the highest earning workers nowadays are not “white” Danish men but are “brown” Indian immigrants. It would probably be similar in...
Sweden has quite a bunch of Iraqi doctors and pharmacists, and probably a quarter of them originate their trips from Copenhagen.
Without foreign medical graduates, the healthcare systems in many an ethnic European majority country would be even more short-staffed and much more expensive than now.
In Denmark nowadays the demographic group with the highest earning workers nowadays are not “white” Danish men but are “brown” Indian immigrants. It would probably be similar in Sweden if not for all the “brown” people who enter Sweden on student visas.
This comment is completely irrelevant in the context of a website for aviation news.
Many comments on websites are off-topic. Ben and other website owners do not and should not micromanage things like this. I find attempts to micromanage others silly. The next stage is where you demand sometime like Jim or me be 'banned.' The answer is no, again. That is not the way. So, if you found what Jim (or anyone) said to be interesting or not, relevant or not, you get the choice: engage or ignore. You do you, Tom. You. Do. You.