ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Pilots and employees of Iraqi Airways on Sunday stormed the company’s headquarters inside Baghdad International Airport in protest over what they described as “corruption and administrative failure.”
The demonstrators, including pilots, managers, and staff, said their action was aimed at confronting the airline’s top leadership and pressing for accountability over financial and administrative practices they say have contributed to the deterioration of the national carrier.
“We demand an opening of an urgent investigation and the formation of investigative committees against both the legal director and the director general, because the legal director has destroyed the company," Adil al-Saadi, a manager at Iraqi Airways, told Rudaw.
This comes against the backdrop of Iraq reopening its airspace in early April after a 40-day closure. The decision followed weeks of disruption that began on February 28, when Baghdad shut down its skies amid the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, forcing travelers to rely on land routes and effectively halting a major international transit corridor.
Saadi’s remarks reflect growing internal frustration among employees who say allegations of financial mismanagement have gone unaddressed for years.
"What is the point of his presence when the company has been subjected to the theft of 172 billion [Iraqi Dinars (over $131 million)]?” he questioned, referring to the company’s director general.
Adil al-Saadi, a senior manager of Iraqi Airways, told Rudaw, “Based on official records, we’ve lost more than 172 billion Iraqi dinars due to theft,” which resulted in no maintenance for the aircraft.
Employees argue that despite significant state investment in the airline, much of its fleet remains underused or grounded, contributing to declining operational performance.
Qasim al-Mahbash, an Iraqi Airways employee and one of the protest organizers, criticized what he described as the underutilization of the company’s fleet. He told Rudaw that Iraqi Airways owns 45 aircraft. “Is it reasonable for the state to buy national transport aircraft worth six billion dollars only for them to be left to rot?”
Captain Arafat al-Bassam, a pilot with Iraqi Airways, pointed to what he described as a dramatic reduction in the airline’s international reach compared to previous decades.