'Significant progress' toward lifting EU flight ban on Iraqi Airways: Ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s transport ministry said on Saturday that it has made progress toward lifting the European Union’s flight ban on Iraqi Airways as part of broader efforts to modernize and expand the aviation sector.

“Significant progress” has been achieved on complex issues within the ministry’s updated operational plan, particularly the effort to lift the EU ban on Iraqi Airways, ministry spokesperson Maitham al-Safi told state media.

He said the requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit should be completed by the end of 2025, paving the way for the Terminal Operating Certificate process that would allow the national carrier to re-enter European airspace.

The EU extended its ban on Iraqi Airways flights in June due to ongoing safety concerns.

Baghdad has been working to reverse the ban. In May, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with IATA representatives to push for the ban’s removal. At that time, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reported that 71 percent of a corrective action plan had been implemented.

Iraqi Airways, one of the Middle East’s oldest carriers, has been barred from EU airspace since 2015 because of repeated safety violations. It and Fly Baghdad remain on the EU’s list of prohibited airlines, with limited exceptions.

The airline’s reputation has been marred by several scandals. In 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority suspended a pilot who allowed a female model into the cockpit mid-flight. In July 2018, two pilots physically fought over a meal onboard a Boeing 737 carrying 160 passengers. In August 2023, Iraqi Airways issued an apology after a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold, delaying a flight from Dubai to Baghdad.

As part of its ambitious plans to improve the transport sector, the ministry will “launch a package of strategic projects by the end of this year and the beginning of 2026, covering the air, land, rail, and maritime transport sectors,” said Safi.

Nasiriyah Airport is expected to open by the end of this year.

Expanding Iraq’s air routes will “support the movement of businesspeople, delegations, tourism, and investment, strengthen industries, develop supply chains, and integrate Iraq into the global economic landscape,” said Safi.