ERBIL,— Airports in Iraqi Kurdistan resumed flight operations Tuesday after a 12-day halt caused by regional conflict between Israel and Iran, officials confirmed.
The reopening affected major airports in Erbil and Sulaimani. According to the Ministry of Transportation, Erbil International Airport, the region’s busiest hub, canceled 1,184 flights during the closure, while Sulaimani International Airport had 99 canceled flights.
Kirkuk International Airport also resumed operations on Tuesday.
Sulaimani International Airport issued a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority officially authorized reopening the airspace at 10:30 a.m. local time.
The Iraqi Ministry of Transportation also noted that flight services would restart initially in southern parts of the country, with broader operations following soon.
The closure came amid a sharp escalation in conflict between Israel and Iran, which began June 13 with Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military sites and officials. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel, prompting Iraq to close its airspace due to safety concerns.
The decision to reopen airspace followed a ceasefire agreement announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Aviation authorities in Iraq and Kurdistan have declared the airspace safe for flights again.
According to Iraq’s transport ministry, the lifting of restrictions marks a return to normalcy for the region’s airports after nearly two weeks of suspended operations.
On June 15, Egypt’s national airline, EgyptAir, has suspended flights to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, due to growing instability in the region.
In March 2025, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport reported a significant rise in the number of aircraft flying through, landing, and departing from Iraqi airspace. The Ministry’s media office stated that daily flights now number between 600 and 650, reflecting ongoing efforts to open more of the airspace by easing military restrictions.
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