Iraqi Kurdistan's airports reopen for intl. flights following PM's order

Airports in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been reopened to international air traffic.

A statement from the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said earlier on Thursday that the premier had ordered the reopening of the airports of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region for international flights.

“God willing, international flights to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports will be resumed on Thursday (March 15) and our people in Kurdistan region will be able to travel freely and this is their right and not a favor from us. It is their right. It is the right of the people to travel freely to any place in the world," said the statement.

Lifting the embargo comes after Kurdish authorities agreed that the airports should come under federal control and report to the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Abbas Omran, the director of Iraq's civil aviation authority, earlier said he had received a cable Wednesday night that international carriers were now allowed to take off and land at the two airports in Iraq's Kurdish region.

The developments come after the Iraqi prime minister on Tuesday announced an end to a nearly six-month air blockade imposed on the Kurdistan region after the semi-autonomous territory held a controversial referendum on secession last September.

PressTV-Iraqi PM ends air blockade on Kurdistan region

Iraq has ended a nearly six-month air blockade imposed on the Iraqi Kurdistan in response to a secession referendum held in the region.

This week, top Iraqi government financial officials also met with Kurdish regional officials in an attempt to settle differences over civil servant salaries and regional bank operations.

Senior officials in Baghdad say paying civil servants working for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is expected to start this month.

Tensions flared up between the region and the central government in Baghdad after the highly controversial plebiscite.

The referendum was held despite strong opposition from Baghdad, the international community, and Iraq's neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran. It opened up a persisting rift between the semi-autonomous region and the central government in Baghdad.

Following the provocative vote, Baghdad imposed a ban on direct international flights to and from the Kurdish region and called for a halt to its independent crude oil sales. The KRG at the time described such measures as “collective punishment.”

After the air ban was enforced, all Kurdistan-bound international flights were rerouted to Baghdad, which also imposed entry visas to foreigners wishing to visit the Kurdistan region.

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