Cruise news: Having the "time of my life" in the MSC Musica disco.

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"I want to share the following with you. While working abroad in Iraq I was told that amongst all the airlines the worst one to use was Iraqi Airlines. I did not believe that but the thought were always in the back of my mind and whenever I had to fly from Iraq to South Africa I would avoid the Iraqi Airlines. Always making sure that I never ended up on their planes.

Months went by and I were jet setting every three months with no hassles between Baghdad and Jordan or Dubai or Egypt. It so happened that I was stuck on the Baghdad airport for three days due to a sandstorm that prevented planes to fly out of Baghdad. On the fourth day were told that the only pilots that are prepared to fly in this weather is the Iraqi ones. A big decision to make...stay for another couple of days or fly with Iraqi Airlines....thoughts went through my mind and at the end going home weighted up more then the stigma to the airline.

I opted for the flight and within 8 hours boarded the Iraqi Airline plane. Sitting a window near the cockpit and looking out as the rest of the passengers ascend I accepted that my fear was unfounded and prepared myself for the flight to flight to Dubai. More passengers...more passengers and what now?  There the steps are moved but not much only half a meter from the door and left there. That does not look right I thought but maybe it is. No it is not here it comes back and locked onto the plane again. 5, 10 minutes goes by and there I see what the reason was...one guys and then another walked up the stairs and got into the plane....no they are not passengers that was late...the one is dressed in a uniform and the other one very dirty. What is going on?... Is this passengers or workers or officials...no the one is to dirty for that ..they can't be I thought.

Then a cracking voice announcing the Captain is just leaving the plane to check on something....what can that be?...Is there going to be a delay or is the storm to bad? So there goes my excitement...No not another night on this airport....Everybody that has been on the Baghdad airport will know what I am talking about...An airport with very little facilities....a dilapidated building where some renovations is done but overall in a very bad state. Not surprising because we are in a war zone and you can expect some destruction of some sort will also be at the airport.

My mind is brought back to reality when I saw movement from the plane again on the stairs...this time it is a man dressed in uniform...oh that must be the pilot that this announcement was about. But it seems is not going to the airport building. No he is going under the plane...He must be checking on something under the plane I thought or perhaps he is going to get some transport to take him to his destination. But then I noticed something irregular...the man has got something in his hand. As I took a closer look I saw it is a spanner and a wrench he is carrying. Now this is getting interesting. Then I saw someone following him....it is the dirty guy....now I can see why he is dirty as he passes under my window. He is dirty because he is full of oil and grease. Oh that must be a mechanic I thought.

5 minutes became 10 minutes and then 15 minutes and twenty minutes later here the pilot or captain came back from underneath the plane. I noticed that he alsso looks a bit dirty now...yes that is oil marks I see on his hands and clothes...No I must be seeing this... this can't be happening...The captain went to fix something on the engine...

A cracking voice again...."This is the Captain speaking...Sorry for the delay...we will be leaving soon...the problem that was there has been solved".

When the plane was airlifting the only thing I could think about was....what problem was there that the captain solved?  A terrible thought...if this was not near a nightmare this I can tell you was the worst flight I have ever been on.....What did the captain fix....what? OMG...will we get there safely?

Unbelievable and now I can see why people have this opinion about the Iraqi Airlines...What about multi skilling ? That is the extreme." Roy

Views expressed here aren't necessarily those of SouthAfrica.TO's.

"I would like to reiterate that the Government and the department in particular will continue to provide Shareholder support in an effort to bring the airline to commercial sustainability." Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Public Enterprises, expressing government's continued support for SAA.