Flight ban has no expiry date, says Iraqi official
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The flight ban has no expiry date, but will be in place until lifted by the central government, an Iraqi official asserted on Thursday.
Salim Sudani, spokesperson for the Iraqi Transportation Ministry, said that media reports of an extension to the international flight ban on the Kurdistan Region until February 28, 2018 are “untrue.”
Sudani said that when the decision was made in the first place, it did not have any expiry date.
“The airlines of both airports had been shut down indefinitely and the reopening of them is under the authority of the [central] government,” Sudani explained.
On September 29, four days after the Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum, Baghdad imposed a series of punitive measures on the Region, including a ban on all international flights in and out of Erbil and Sulaimani airports. At the time, the ban was set to expire on December 29.
On Wednesday, Erbil International Airport received notice from Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority of an extension of the ban through February 28, 2018.
Tahir Abdullah, chief of Sulaimani International Airport, told Rudaw on Wednesday evening that they have not received any official letter regarding the ban extension, but KRG’s acting Minister of Transport Mawlud Bawamurad confirmed it applies to both airports.
“It is unfortunate that the Iraqi government issued this decision while we were expecting talks to begin to solve the problems,” Bawamurad told Rudaw.
The KRG has described the flight ban as “collective punishment” that discriminates against Iraq’s Kurdish population.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday they are ready to talk with Baghdad about the airports operating under the civilian aviation authority. “We are ready to receive them, to talk and accept that,” he said.
People in the Kurdistan Region who want to travel abroad must first take domestic flights to Iraqi airports. Many people have chosen to travel by land into Turkey and take international flights from there.
Iraq's interior minister said on Monday in a meeting with a Kurdish delegation in Baghdad that he would request the re-opening of Erbil and Sulaimani airports, saying political disputes should not be mingled with individuals' affairs, according to a Kurdish official.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that the KRG’s international border strip must be under “exclusive” Iraqi control. He conceded though that the Iraqi constitution allows for both governments to jointly run international entry points such as the airports.
Salim Sudani, spokesperson for the Iraqi Transportation Ministry, said that media reports of an extension to the international flight ban on the Kurdistan Region until February 28, 2018 are “untrue.”
Sudani said that when the decision was made in the first place, it did not have any expiry date.
“The airlines of both airports had been shut down indefinitely and the reopening of them is under the authority of the [central] government,” Sudani explained.
On September 29, four days after the Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum, Baghdad imposed a series of punitive measures on the Region, including a ban on all international flights in and out of Erbil and Sulaimani airports. At the time, the ban was set to expire on December 29.
On Wednesday, Erbil International Airport received notice from Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority of an extension of the ban through February 28, 2018.
Tahir Abdullah, chief of Sulaimani International Airport, told Rudaw on Wednesday evening that they have not received any official letter regarding the ban extension, but KRG’s acting Minister of Transport Mawlud Bawamurad confirmed it applies to both airports.
“It is unfortunate that the Iraqi government issued this decision while we were expecting talks to begin to solve the problems,” Bawamurad told Rudaw.
The KRG has described the flight ban as “collective punishment” that discriminates against Iraq’s Kurdish population.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday they are ready to talk with Baghdad about the airports operating under the civilian aviation authority. “We are ready to receive them, to talk and accept that,” he said.
People in the Kurdistan Region who want to travel abroad must first take domestic flights to Iraqi airports. Many people have chosen to travel by land into Turkey and take international flights from there.
Iraq's interior minister said on Monday in a meeting with a Kurdish delegation in Baghdad that he would request the re-opening of Erbil and Sulaimani airports, saying political disputes should not be mingled with individuals' affairs, according to a Kurdish official.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that the KRG’s international border strip must be under “exclusive” Iraqi control. He conceded though that the Iraqi constitution allows for both governments to jointly run international entry points such as the airports.