Iraqi aviation issues

Ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon continue to have regional effects and the geographical location of Iraq may see Iraqi airspace unexpectedly closed at short notice.

Turkish companies A-Jet, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines all had extensive cancellations in October and were apparently pretty poor at keeping customers updated about these. So you may wish to choose airlines with better customer service.

At some points in October, Iraqi Airways was the only company left serving passengers, but other regional state airlines, such as Royal Jordanian, also largely maintained their flight schedules, except when Iraqi airspace was closed.

State airlines also usually offer much better flexibility with regard to changing tickets and accommodating passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed (although Pegasus once shouted us rather a nice hotel and supper in Istanbul). Plus, state airlines often give a generous luggage allowance, in case you want to buy a nice traditional Iraqi rug.

Iraqi Airways are likely to be amongst the cheapest but tickets can’t generally be purchased online, only via actual offices or some general Middle Eastern flight outlets.

If you are already in Iraq and struggling to contact an airline, or want to change your ticket home, most airlines have outlets on Sa’adoun Street and some have additional offices elsewhere in Baghdad.