Reopened Iraqi air zones span western provinces

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Most of the Iraqi airspace zones newly opened to civilian aviation are military areas in western Iraq, extending from Al-Anbar through Najaf to Al-Muthanna, an informed source told Shafaq News on Friday.

The areas were among those covered by the Transport Ministry’s decision earlier in the day to lift restrictions on zones previously reserved for military and security operations.

The ministry said the military air zones listed in Iraq’s aeronautical information publication were no longer being used for military operations and that restrictions on them had formally ended, adding that the change would give aviation authorities greater flexibility in managing Iraqi airspace, improve civilian traffic flow, support new flight routes, and raise the operational efficiency of air-navigation services.

The restricted zones had been set aside for military and security operations beginning in 2016 and 2017 after ISIS seized large parts of Iraq in 2014. They were formally transferred back to civilian aviation authorities on Friday.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency continues to advise operators under its oversight to avoid the Baghdad Flight Information Region because of regional conflict risks.