Carriers avoid northern Iraqi airspace
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Gulf Air and Etihad Airways have announced the re-routing of its flights to avoid Northern Iraqi airspace.
This step is being undertaken by the airlines for further precautions amid growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation.
Gulf Air’s European flights, which are the only flights to operate over Northern Iraqi airspace, will be re-routed effective immediately using alternate flight paths.
Etihad’s flights to Basra and Baghdad, which have a daily risk assessment, continue to operate as normal.
Gulf Air’s existing Iraq operations (three weekly flights to Baghdad and daily flights to Al Najaf) are being reviewed on a day-to-day basis in advance of operations.
In addition Lufthansa suspended its flights from Frankfurt and Vienna to Erbil during the weekend and today (11 August). The airlines of the group continue to avoid Iraqi airspace.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against all travel to parts of the Kurdistan region including Erbil and all areas west of the city within the Erbil province.
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