Iraq's flagship carrier picks up its first Airbus widebody jet

Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, received its first delivery of a widebody Airbus A330-200 on Saturday.

The carrier currently operates two mid-sized Airbus aircraft, the A321. 

"The A330-200 will allow us to grow our international routes," said Iraqi Airways general manager Saad Mahdi Saeed Al-Khafaji. 

Twenty-four business class seats and 264 economy seats will be available aboard the new aircraft, which according to Airbus has an average list price of US$208.6 million. It is expected to service routes to Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and other European destinations.

Founded in 1945, Iraqi Airways is one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. It's based at Baghdad International Airport.

More on CNN: Middle East as an emerging travel market