Flydubai, regional carriers suspend flights to Iraq’s Najaf

Flydubai has halted flights to the Iraqi city of Najaf “due to the disruption on the ground” at the airport until July 22, the Dubai state-owned airline said on Sunday.

Najaf airport was closed on Friday after protests there halted air traffic. Najaf is among the cities in southern Iraq that have witnessed days of protests over poor services and against alleged official corruption.

Flydubai, which operates a daily return flight from Dubai to Najaf, is monitoring the situation, an airline spokeswoman said.

Jordan’s state airline also said on Sunday it had suspended four weekly flights to the Iraqi city of Najaf due to the “security situation at its airport, according to company statement

Royal Jordanian said Najaf is the ninth destination in the region – from Mosul in Iraq to Aden and Sanaa in Yemen – to which it has suspended flights due to turmoil in recent years.

Najaf is among the cities in southern Iraq that have witnessed days of protests over poor services and against alleged official corruption.

Iran’s state television reported on Sunday that flights from Iran to Najaf would be diverted to Baghdad.

“Due to problems at Najaf airport … Iranian planes will take their passengers to Baghdad airport,” Reza Jafarzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, was cited as saying.

He did not say how many flights were affected.

With contributions from Reuters