Iraq grounds all flights for 72 more hours

2026-03-16 - 11:54

Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday extended the closure of the country’s airspace to all incoming, outgoing, and transit flights for an additional 72 hours amid ongoing regional security concerns. The restriction will remain in effect from 12:00 p.m. local time (09:00 UTC) on Monday until 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, as authorities continue to assess the security situation and regional developments. This marks the third extension of the airspace suspension, following two previous 72-hour closures, after both Baghdad International Airport and Erbil International Airport were targeted in multiple attacks.