Newsletters
Flights will resume at Kirkuk Airport in Iraq on May 1 after weeks of suspension linked to rising regional tensions following the U.S.–Iran conflict, with the airport’s press office confirming that the first outbound flight will depart for Türkiye on Friday.
The move comes after Iraq reopened its airspace on April 8 following a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
Iraqi Airways will operate the initial Kirkuk–Ankara route, with three weekly flights planned. Aircraft departing Baghdad will land in Kirkuk before continuing to the Turkish capital.
The airport administration indicated it is ready to resume operations under strict safety and operational protocols, noting that flight schedules will be restored step by step in the coming period.
Iraq closed its airspace after the Feb. 28 attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, halting civilian flights across the country.
Kirkuk Airport opened on Oct. 16, 2022, in a ceremony attended by then-Transport Minister Nasir Hussein, with international flights to Türkiye beginning later that same month.
Set in the oil-rich north of Iraq, the airport serves as a key gateway for domestic and cross-border travel while operating as a joint civil–military facility aimed at easing pressure on larger hubs such as Baghdad and Erbil.
Positioned to the southwest of the city, the airport is designed to handle up to 3.5 million passengers annually.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
