Oman Air to avoid Iraq airspace

The move follows measures by other airlines to avoid Iraqi airspace.

Oman Air is the latest carrier to say it will not fly over Iraqi airspace. Amy Leang / The National

MUSCAT // Oman’s national carrier will no longer overfly Iraq after US strikes on Islamist militant positions there, it announced on Monday after several other companies had re-routed their flights.

Oman Air said the decision concerned flights heading to Europe and Beirut.

“This is a preventive measure due to the events taking place in the region,” the airline said in a statement on the official Omani news agency ONA.

Oman Air recalled that it had since April re-routed flights over Ukraine and Syria due to the conflicts in both countries.

The Federal Aviation Administration in Washington banned all US civilian flights over Iraq just hours after American warplanes Friday carried out the first air strikes on positions held by jihadists of the Islamic State, who have occupied swathes of northern Iraq.

A slew of airlines have also said they will no longer overfly Iraq, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Air France, Emirates, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Kuwait Airways, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways.

* Agence France-Presse