Fly Baghdad causes crisis at Baghdad International Airport
A Fly Baghdad airplane at an airport in Turkey. Photo: Jet Photos/Gerrit Griem
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad was forced on Monday to cancel several of its flights from Baghdad International Airport a few hours after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the carrier.
Social media videos surfaced online showing travelers stranded at Baghdad International Airport following Fly Baghdad’s cancellation of flights in line with US sanctions.
Fly Baghdad noted that there has been no cause given for the flights to stop, indicating that they are fully operational, according to Shafaq News.
A US Treasury’s decision issued on Monday indicating that the company is shipping weapons to Syria and funding groups that the US government has outlawed surprised Fly Baghdad’s management.
The company denounced the US Treasury’s decision, considering it not based on any material or moral evidence that could convict the company.
Fly Baghdad further stated that the Iraqi government, through the Ministry of Transport and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), had been directly supervising it for years.
The Iraqi carrier demanded substantial proof from the US Treasury Department and confirmed that it will take legal action to obtain material and moral compensation since the decision was made based on false and misleading information.