Flights from Turkey's southeastern province of Gaziantep to Irbil in northern Iraq will boost economic ties between the two nations, the governor said Wednesday.

"Flights will increase our trade with Iraq and contribute to Gaziantep in terms of health tourism and eliminate delays at border gates and roads," said Davut Gül in a statement.

Gül also noted that AnadoluJet - a subsidiary of flag carrier Turkish Airlines - flights to Irbil will start today, providing faster transportation for business people and tourists.

For the launch period, flights between Gaziantep and Irbil will run three times a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

AnadoluJet operates on 69 routes in 41 airports with a fleet of 36 aircraft.