Ирак открыл девять новых международных маршрутов и подтвердил безопасность воздушного пространства

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — The Iraqi Ministry of Transport ruled out any imminent closure of national airspace amid regional security tensions, announcing the successful activation of alternative air transit corridors alongside the launch of nine new international flight destinations connecting Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Basra to regional and global hubs. Speaking to the official state newspaper reported on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Director General of the General Company for Airport Management and Air Navigation, Ihab Saad, affirmed that Iraq’s flight information region (FIR) remains safe, stable, and fully operational, logging over 500,000 passengers during the third quarter of 2026 alone. Airspace Stability and Navigation Measures Alternative Air Corridors: In technical collaboration with international civil aviation bodies (including ICAO), the ministry established flexible alternate transit routes to bypass regional friction zones, with technical evaluations underway to open additional corridors. Continuous Open Skies: Saad stressed that Iraqi airspace did not experience any operational closures over recent months despite sharp regional escalations, maintaining uninterrupted overflight transit revenues and commercial passenger flows. Overflight Readiness: Authorities maintain direct operational coordination with transit carriers, anticipating a return to historical direct flight paths as regional de-escalation takes hold. Q3 2026 Passenger Milestone: Robust passenger throughput surpassed 500,000 travelers across domestic airports in Q3 2026, underscoring sustained commercial confidence in Iraqi civil aviation infrastructure. The Ministry of Transport’s civil aviation expansion program establishes direct point-to-point connections across three key domestic gateways: Departure Airport | New International Routes | Strategic Corridor Baghdad International Airport (BGW) | Moscow, Tunis, Muscat | Eastern Europe, North Africa & GCC integration Kirkuk International Airport (KIK) | Antalya, Beirut, Dubai, Trabzon | Tourism hubs, Levant link & GCC transit Basra International Airport (BSR) | Baku, Delhi | South Caucasus trade & South Asian commercial link Saad noted that routing alternatives and destination additions form part of a structured civil aviation strategy to maximize sovereign revenue from overflight transit fees and airport usage charges: Commercial Diversification: Broadening outbound destinations from secondary hubs like Kirkuk and Basra relieves operational congestion at Baghdad International while stimulating regional trade, religious tourism, and medical travel. Aviation Hub Positioning: By maintaining safe transit corridors and opening non-traditional connections to Central and South Asia as well as Eastern Europe, Iraq seeks to reposition its airspace as a central transit crossroads connecting Europe, the Gulf, and Asia.