Airspace closure disrupts over 1,200 flights in Kurdistan Region

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said Monday that 1,283 flights have been canceled at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah international airports over the past 10 days due to Iraq’s airspace closure amid ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

The ministry said 1,184 flights were canceled at Erbil International Airport and 99 at Sulaymaniyah International Airport.

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority suspended all flights on June 13 following intensified missile and drone activity linked to the conflict. Airspace remains closed, with limited exceptions for repatriation flights via Basra International Airport.

Tourism companies in Erbil report severe financial losses, citing mass cancellations of tour packages, plane tickets, and hotel reservations. Some operators are calling for compensation or at least flexibility to reschedule bookings once flights resume.

Last week, the Kurdistan Regional Government issued updated guidance to assist citizens stranded abroad. In a public notice, the KRG urged affected travelers to apply for three-day Turkish transit visas and return overland through the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing.