Lebanon’s main carrier Middle East Airlines joined several others Tuesday in suspending all flights to and from Baghdad airport, one day after a bullet hit an Emirati jet landing in the Iraqi capital.
MEA published a statement on its website saying the flights will be halted Tuesday “due to the current situation at Baghdad airport.”
On Monday night, a bullet hit the fuselage of a flydubai plane that was landing at Baghdad International Airport, prompting several airlines to suspend their flights to the city.
A flydubai spokesperson told AFP that flight FZ215, which was carrying 154 people, was hit by “small arms fire” just before landing, but that all passengers left the plane safely with no need for medication.
The carrier, a sister firm of Emirates, said it was working with Iraqi authorities to investigate the incident, adding that it will continue to fly to its other destinations in Iraq.
Other UAE airlines, including Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia, also suspended their flights to Baghdad for Tuesday.
"Emirates has suspended its services to Baghdad until further notice due to operational reasons," the Dubai-based airline said.
The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it had "suspended all flights to the Iraqi city with immediate effect and until further notice."
The website of Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia also showed that flights to Baghdad were not available.
Baghdad airport staff confirmed there had been disruption to flights after Monday's incident.
"The plane was able to land normally but some airlines have cancelled or delayed their flights today," one airport employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Flights from some of the other major airlines flying to Baghdad, such as Turkish Airlines and Royal Jordanian, were delayed, their websites showed.
"The exact timing of flights is not yet clear. Operation directors are currently having a meeting," a Turkish Airlines official told AFP in Ankara.
Western airlines flying over Iraq have taken extra precautions in recent months for fear that ISIS might acquire weapons able to hit cruising airliners.
Baghdad International Airport is located west of the capital, near the province of Anbar, which is largely controlled by ISIS fighters. - With agencies
