All Foreign Flights to Iraq’s Kurd Capital to End Friday

TEHRAN (defapress) – All foreign flights to and from the Iraqi semi-autonomous Kurdish regional capital Erbil will be suspended from Friday evening on Baghdad's orders, its airport director said, following a controversial independence referendum.

News ID: 66082

Date: 28 September 2017 - 13:49

"All international flights without exception to and from Erbil will stop from 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday following a decision by the Iraqi cabinet and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi," Talar Faiq Salih told AFP on Thursday.

Abadi ordered the halt to flights serving airports in Iraqi Kurdistan in retaliation for the independence referendum held on Monday in defiance of Baghdad which reportedly delivered a 92.73 "yes" vote.

A large number of foreigners working in Erbil were leaving the city on Thursday for fear of being stranded with only a visa issued by the Kurdish authorities and not recognized by Baghdad.

Regional carriers, including Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines had already announced that they would be suspending their flights serving Iraqi Kurdistan at Baghdad's request.

The Erbil airport director said she deeply regretted the decision.

"We have consulates, international staff, international companies, so it's going to affect everyone. It's not a right decision," Salih said.

Salih said she had asked the Iraqi transport minister what he meant by "handing over the airports".

"He said that he meant that all staff of security, immigration, customs should be replaced by people from Baghdad. I said: 'Is this reasonable, or even applicable?'"