I flew Iraqi Airways, an airline few Americans have experienced and is banned in the EU. Here were the 4 biggest surprises.

I’m an American college student with a passion for flying airlines that most people have never heard of. When I found a $123 economy ticket on Iraqi Airways, I booked it without a second thought.

When I started telling people, the reaction was always the same. Nobody I spoke to knew Iraq’s national airline existed, and most questioned if it was safe. Decades of war and sanctions have left the carrier relatively small and made it difficult to acquire new planes and parts.

Few Americans have actually flown it. Iraqi Airways has never operated commercial flights to the US, largely due to limited demand to the Middle East and concerns...