ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Fly Erbil, a Kurdish airline, continues to operate daily flights to several European destinations despite widespread suspensions by international airlines serving Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the airline said on Saturday, as regional tensions and drone attacks continue to threaten air travel.
Lawand Mamundi, CEO of Fly Erbil, told Rudaw’s Solin Hamadamin that while “most foreign airlines have suspended their flights to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region” because of ongoing regional tensions, Fly Erbil has maintained its operations to Europe, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The continuation of Fly Erbil’s services comes as air travel to the Kurdistan Region has been disrupted by heightened security concerns in the Region, which has faced a series of drone and missile attacks by Iran and allied armed groups in Iraq amid the renewed US-Iran tensions.
Rudaw has learned that the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) forces intercepted a drone attack over Erbil on Saturday, marking the sixth drone shot down over the city’s airspace within 24 hours. The drone crashed in an uninhabited area, causing no casualties or material damage.
On Friday, the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, said in a statement that "between 9:32 and 9:45 am [local time], coalition forces intercepted and downed five explosive-laden drones in the skies over Erbil."
"The drones had been launched from the western part of Erbil province, and fortunately, no casualties were reported," the agency added.
The cross-border attacks have killed 32 people and injured over 150 others since the US-Iran war, which began in late February. In the first three weeks of July, nearly 56 drones and missiles hit the Region.
The Kurdistan Region has declared its neutrality, urging restraint and dialogue to resolve the conflict, which has inflicted significant financial losses on both Iraq and the Region.
Fly Erbil’s continued operations provide an alternative for residents and visitors seeking connections to Europe and neighboring Turkey. Mamundi said passengers can purchase tickets and access updated flight schedules through the airline’s official website and mobile application.
Since the outbreak of the US-Iran war on February 28, the Kurdistan Region has faced an unprecedented wave of drone and missile attacks. The strikes have targeted military sites, airports, energy infrastructure, and camps of Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, repeatedly disrupting flights and oil and gas production.
According to Rudaw tracking, more than 930 drones and missiles have struck the Kurdistan Region since the conflict began.
Iraqi and Kurdistan Region officials have repeatedly called for keeping Iraq out of the conflict and preventing the country from becoming a battleground for regional tensions.
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