Dubai: Emirates airline said on Monday it would stop using Iraqi airspace, amid rising security fears as Islamic insurgents continue to control large parts of the country.
The announcements comes as airlines globally start rethinking flight paths following the shooting down of Malaysian Airline flight MH17 by a surface-to-air missile in eastern Ukraine earlier this month.
After a total of 298 people died in the Malaysian Airline disaster, the rise of the Islamic insurgents formerly known as Isil (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq has raised security fears that a passenger jet flying over the country could fall victim to a similar attack.
“Emirates is taking precautionary measures and is currently working on alternative routing for flights using Iraqi airspace,” an Emirates spokesperson said in an email stated.
Emirates is yet to state possible alternative routes, and carriers already avoid flying over neighbouring Syria due to security fears with rebels, Islamic insurgents and government forces embattled in a prolonged civil war.
“We are closely monitoring the situation along with international agencies,” the airline spokesperson said.
Emirates currently fly to three cities in Iraq, Basra, Baghdad and Erbil. It is unclear what impact Monday’s statement will have on these services given that the airline has not announced alternative routes.
When asked about these services the Emirates spokesperson stated that the airline is, “closely monitoring the situation.”
On Monday afternoon, bookings to all three Iraqi cities were still available with Emirates.
In an interview with Britain’s The Times published on Monday, Emirates president Tim Clark said he expects other carriers would soon stop flying over the Iraq.
Clark told The Times that the airline industry needs to act together in how they respond to the shooting down of the Malaysian airline and in how they decide to fly over conflict zones.
“We cannot continue to say, ‘Well it’s a political thing’. We have to take the bull by the horns,” Clark told The Times.
The shooting down of MH17 has become highly politicised as the European Union and the United States trade accusations with Russia over the political future of Ukraine. Washington claims that Ukrainian separatist rebels shot down the airliner with a surface-to-air missile supplied by Moscow.
Earlier this month, Clark called for airlines to gather to discuss the downing on the Malaysian airliner and to review security protocols and contingencies.
