Lebanon's MEA to suspend flights to Iraq’s Kurdish region

Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines (MEA) will suspend flights to and from Erbil airport in northern Iraq from tomorrow, citing an Iraqi government decision to suspend international flights at the airport, MEA Chairman Mohammad Al-Hout said by phone.

“For now, we’re stopping. The last flight is on the 29th, until they solve the issue,” he told Reuters yesterday.

On Monday Kurds in Iraq voted overwhelming for independence during a non-binding referendum which saw five million people come out to cast their ballot.

Read: Hezbollah flexes its muscles against Barzani

In response the Iraqi government called on Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to relinquish control of its international airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to the federal government in Baghdad. However the KRG has refused insisting “the two airports have not committed any violations of the laws and decisions issued by the Federal Civil Aviation Authority.”