Kirkuk International Airport resumes flights after 60-day suspension

KIRKUK — Kirkuk International Airport resumed operations Friday, receiving its first flight from Baghdad after a 60-day suspension, airport officials said.

Media director Hardi Samad told the Iraqi News Agency the resumption marks “the beginning of a new phase toward enhancing air traffic” and that the airport would work to expand its flight network and restore a normal operational schedule.

Iraq’s airspace was closed on Feb. 28 after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered missile and drone activity across the region, grounding all commercial flights and stranding thousands of travelers. The Civil Aviation Authority reopened airspace and all airports on April 8 following a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.