ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government has intensified its efforts to lift a longstanding European Union flight ban, just days before the deadline for its possible renewal, an official said on Monday.
“Through a specialized committee and by implementing a very good process, we have reached 79 percent of the corrective measures in the IOSA [IATA Operational Safety Audit] reform program, which is considered the first step before obtaining the TCO [Third Country Operator] certificate that is considered a gateway to lifting the ban,” Maysam al-Safi, spokesperson for the federal transportation ministry, told Rudaw.
The European Union in June extended its ban on Iraqi Airways flights until at least November, citing ongoing safety concerns.
Iraqi Airways, one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East, has been banned from operating in EU airspace since 2015 due to repeated safety violations. Along with Fly Baghdad, it remains on the EU’s list of air carriers prohibited from entering the bloc, with limited exceptions.
Baghdad has been working to have the sanctions lifted. In late May, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with representatives from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to push for the ban’s removal. At the time, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reported that 71 percent of a corrective action plan had been implemented.
“We also have a contract with the IATA [International Air Transport Association] team to assist Iraqi Airways in meeting the requirements to lift the ban,” Safi said on Monday. He added that Baghdad plans to expand air travel and has received 13 aircraft over the past three years, including Boeing Dreamliners and MAX models. He also noted that 39 Iraqi Airways aircraft are currently operational.
"We are awaiting the receipt of 18 more aircraft by 2027, including 8 Dreamliners and 10 Max aircraft, bringing the total number of new aircraft to 31 by 2027.”
Iraqi Airways has a poor reputation and has been stained by scandals in the past. In 2020, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority suspended a pilot after he allowed a female model to enter the cockpit mid-flight. In July 2018, two Iraqi pilots got into a physical fight over dinner while flying a Boeing 737 with 160 passengers on board. In August 2023, Iraqi Airways had to apologize after a bear escaped from a crate in the cargo hold, delaying a flight from Dubai to Baghdad.