ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Major international airlines are returning to Iraqi airspace, leading to a record number of overflights, Iraq’s transport ministry announced Wednesday. Officials say the development reflects renewed confidence in Iraq’s air navigation capabilities and the full recovery of its airspace following recent regional tensions.
According to a Wednesday statement by the ministry, airlines such as Air France, Russia’s Red Wings, Uzbekistan Airways, and Air India have resumed using Iraqi airspace. New international cargo and private carriers from Austria, Turkey, and San Marino are also now flying over the country regularly.
Abbas al-Baydani, director of Iraq’s General Company for Air Navigation Services (GCANS), said the return of global carriers "clearly demonstrates the enhanced trust of global airlines in Iraqi airspace, reflecting our technical and regulatory readiness in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO].”
Baydani noted that overflights now exceed 700 aircraft per day - the highest level of aviation traffic Iraq has ever recorded.
For his part, Mudhar Thamer, director of Air Traffic Management at GCANS, said the increase is being managed with “the highest levels of efficiency in determining routes and altitudes to ensure air traffic safety.”
The ministry described the recovery as a vital step toward revitalizing the country’s aviation sector and reaffirming Iraq’s strategic aerial position in the region.
Air traffic across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region officially resumed on June 24, ending a 10-day closure prompted by the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13.
Tensions spiked after Israeli airstrikes in Iran killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel.
The situation escalated further on June 22 when the United States struck three Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran retaliated by launching a missile strike on a US base in Qatar. A ceasefire, brokered by Washington, was reached two days later.
The Israel-Iran conflict led to a full closure of Iraqi and Kurdistan Region airspace.
Dilan Rashad, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) transport ministry, then told Rudaw the 10-day suspension resulted in the cancellation of 1,283 flights across the Region’s airports.
