Basra travel agencies halt operations, cut staff as airport closure stretches into Eid

BASRA — Tourism companies in Basra have suspended operations and begun cutting staff after the closure of Iraqi airspace left them with no flights to sell and a growing pile of refunds to process, employees told 964media.

“Work at tourism companies has stopped since the beginning of the war, and we were forced to return money to travelers who had booked tickets before the closure of Iraqi airports,” said Mohammed Shaker, an employee at a local tourism company. He said the only travel still moving is overland — limited crossings to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, from where passengers continue their journeys by air. “There is no comparison with last year’s Eid season — everything is stopped,” he said.

Haider Amin, an employee at another local agency, said the conditions have forced companies to reduce their workforce. “We cannot pay salaries under these circumstances,” he said. Employees added that group travel to the Kurdistan Region — typically one of the busiest Eid routes — has stopped completely, despite Iraqis continuing to visit offices asking about a possible resumption of flights.

Iraq’s airspace has been closed since Feb. 28, the day U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the regional war. The Civil Aviation Authority has extended the closure seven consecutive times, most recently on Monday for an additional 72 hours through noon Thursday — with Eid al-Fitr beginning Friday and no indication of when flights will resume.