Baghdad airport temporarily halts flights

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Baghdad International Airport temporarily suspended flights early Thursday, citing bad weather. 

Maysam Safi, spokesperson for Iraq's transportation ministry, told Rudaw that the halt is due to bad weather and low visibility.

He added that the flights will resume if the weather conditions improve.

A rainstorm has struck Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in recent days, triggering flash floods in several areas that have caused multiple deaths and significant material damage. Several Iraqi provinces have declared Thursday a public holiday due to the severe weather conditions.

The Kurdistan Region’s Chamchamal district and the disputed province of Kirkuk were among the areas hardest hit by the flooding, which also caused several deaths.

Iraqi state media cited the transportation ministry as saying that flights to and from Sulaimani and Najaf airports have also been halted, adding that flights at all airports are expected to resume at noon.

 

Updated at 30:32 am