Iraq suspends northern flights due to Russia’s Syria strikes

Monday, 23 November 2015

Flights to and from two northern Iraqi airports were suspended for 48 hours beginning on Monday due to danger posed by Russian cruise missiles heading for neighboring Syria, officials said.

Iraq’s “Civil Aviation Authority decided to suspend all departing and arriving flights from and to Arbil and Sulaimaniyah airports” for 48 hours from 8:00 am (0500 GMT) on Monday, it said in a statement, referring to airports in the autonomous Kurdish region.

The decision was made to “protect passengers and because of the crossing of cruise missiles and bombers,” it said.

The directors of Arbil and Sulaimaniyah airports both confirmed that flights had been suspended, mentioning the danger of Russian missiles but not the bombers referred to in the Civil Aviation Authority’s statement.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/11/23/Iraq-suspends-northern-flights-due-to-Russia-s-Syria-strikes.html