ICAA issues a clarification about air traffic ban decision
Shafaq News / The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority issued, on Sunday, a clarification for its late decision about suspending the air traffic from and to Iraq.
The authority said in the statement received by Shafaq news agency that its recent decision to suspend regular flights until the 15th of July, except for exceptional flights for Iraqis returning to Iraq or abroad for those who reside in the countries they are departing, "came in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Committee for Health and National Safety of its decision (41) for the year 2020 in its session Sixth held on 27/4/2020", which states, "Approval of the travel of Iraqi citizens and their families from Iraq to the countries in which they have residency, taking a formal written commitment from them not to return to Iraq until the Coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic is finally gone".
The authority affirmed its, "full commitment to implement the decisions of the highest authorities in Iraq represented by the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Committee for Health and National Safety".
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced, earlier, to extend the suspension of domestic and foreign flights until mid-June.
The Iraqi government has suspended the conduct of domestic and foreign flights since last March, as part of measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. flights were limited during this period to exceptional flights aimed at evacuating Iraqis who wish to come back to Iraq. According to health experts, these trips exacerbated the status of the pandemic in the country.