Iraq's Najaf airport stopped flights to and from Iran after a directive from the prime minister's office to the governor. The step followed new US aviation sanctions on companies that do business with Iranian airlines. According to Iraqi state media, Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah have also stopped Iran flights. The airport's management says the suspension will last until further notice.
Najaf airport director Hussein Muhanna told AFP that flights between Iran and Najaf stopped after a directive from the prime minister's office to the governor. The airport's management said the suspension began on Friday and would last until further notice. Arab News reports that the airport took the step to comply with US sanctions.[1], [2]
The halt followed new US aviation sanctions on companies that do business with Iranian airlines. Najaf is one of Iraq's holy cities and was one of the airports with direct flights to Iran. Because the order came from the prime minister's office, the step is not a decision the airport took on its own. The sanctions are American; Iraq is applying them at its own airports.[1], [2]
Al Jazeera, citing Iraqi state media, reports that Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah are no longer running Iran flights. A source at the transport ministry told Shafaq News, however, that no single nationwide order had been issued and that the flights stopped because ground handlers ceased servicing them. Ground handlers provide services such as refuelling, baggage and passenger handling, and flights cannot operate without them.[1]
