ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The first flights landed in Iraq on Thursday after the country reopened its airspace, Iraq’s transport ministry said, following nearly 40 days of closure due to the war with Iran that saw repeated attacks across the country and near its airports.
“For the first time after the war and the reopening of Iraqi airspace, two airplanes flew to Iraqi airports,” transportation ministry spokesperson Maytham al-Safi told Rudaw.
Iraq on Wednesday reopened its airspace after 40 days of closure. The decision follows weeks of disruption that began on February 28, when Baghdad shut down its skies due to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, forcing travelers to rely on land routes and halting a major international transit corridor.
Authorities had extended the closure through March and into early April.
Safi said the first flight was a Flydubai plane to Basra International Airport, while the second was a Royal Jordanian aircraft landing at Baghdad International Airport.