Cairo: Egypt’s national carrier will suspend flights to and from Iraq’s Kurdistan starting from Friday amid an escalating dispute between Baghdad and the autonomous region, the official Middle East News agency reported Wednesday.
EgyptAir will stop flights between Cairo and Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan “until further notice” at a request from the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority, the agency added.
The Egyptian airline operates three flights per week to Kurdistan, which has angered Baghdad by unilaterally holding on Monday a referendum on independence.
Iraq’s federal government has given Kurdistan until Friday to hand over the control of its airports or face a flight ban, a demand already rejected by the region’s authorities.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi said on Wednesday he would not negotiate with Kurdistan the results of the referendum, which he called unconstitutional.
The vote was also held in areas at the centre of a long-standing dispute between Kurdistan and Baghdad.
