 The subsequent arrival of a relief column ("Kingcol"), part of "Habforce" sent from Palestine, then a British mandate, combined with the Habbaniya units to force the rebel forces to retreat to Baghdad.Later in the Second World War, Habbaniya became an important stage on the southern air route between the UK and the USSR.British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) ran a regular passenger service via North Africa and the Middle East using Consolidated Liberator transports.