Abu Dhabi: UAE airlines, including Etihad Airways, Emirates airline and Air Arabia, have suspended flights to Baghdad after a flydubai aircraft was shot at upon landing at Baghdad airport on Monday.
Dubai-based carrier, flydubai, confirmed that gunshots were fired at the aircraft, but there were no injuries to passengers.
“After landing at Baghdad International Airport (BGW) on 26 January, 2015, damage to the aircraft fuselage consistent with small arms fire was discovered on flydubai flight FZ 215. All the passengers disembarked normally through the jet bridge. No medical attention was required at the airport,” flydubai said in a statement.
The airline also confirmed that passengers from Baghdad to Dubai were accommodated on a replacement aircraft, and that an investigation is under way to establish what happened.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said in a statement that it has suspended all flights to the Iraqi capital until further notice. The move is in compliance with the ban by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Etihad said it was working closely with authorities in Baghdad to monitor the situation at the Iraqi airport before recommencing flights.
Similarly, Emirates confirmed that it has suspended flights to and from Baghdad.
“This took effect from January 26 until further notice. Our services to other points in Iraq — Erbil and Basra — continue to operate as scheduled. Our customer service team is contacting affected customers to assist them with making alternative travel arrangements,” Emirates said.
The Dubai-based airline said it hoped to resume services to Baghdad as soon as operational conditions allow.
Air Arabia also said it was complying with GCAA’s ban to suspend flights to Baghdad.
The Iraqi airport’s website showed that all flights on Monday (both departures and arrivals) were going ahead as scheduled, with cancellations only from UAE-based airlines. However, flights by Iraqi Airways, Middle East Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Gulf Air were on schedule.
