Emirates To Suspend Flights To Iraqi City Of Erbil From August 12

Dubai-based Emirates announced that it will be suspending flights to the Iraqi city of Erbil from August 12, 2014, as clashes continue between Islamic militants and government forces in the country.

In a brief statement on its website, the airline said the move was being carried out for “operational reasons.”

It added: “Customers are advised to contact their travel agent or Emirates call centres for rebooking options. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Emirates however confirmed that it will continue to operate its daily, non-stop flights between Dubai and Basra and four times weekly service to Baghdad.

Last month, the airline announced that it was planning to avoid Iraqi airspace due to growing tension created by Islamic militants in the country. Emirates’ CEO Tim Clark said that the airline would reroute flights along other paths.

The shooting down of Malaysian Airlines jet MH17 over Ukraine in June has caused concerns among airlines regarding the safety of flying over conflict zones.

Last week, Air France said that it stopped flying over Iraq, while Deutsche Lufthansa also announced that it would suspend operations to Erbil.