Air travel in the Kurdistan Region is gradually recovering, and airports now handle around 15 flights each day after Iraqi airspace reopened.
Recent reports show that airlines resumed operations at a moderate level once authorities lifted airspace restrictions. Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports currently lead this recovery. Kirkuk Airport remains closed and has not restarted any flights.
Data from Erbil International Airport shows 13 scheduled flights on a recent day. These operated between 02:00 AM and 05:00 PM. The airport recorded six departures and seven arrivals during that period.
Erbil departures link the region with several cities. These include Amman, Düsseldorf, Sharjah, Dubai, Istanbul, and Baghdad. Incoming flights arrive from Hannover, Sharjah, Amman, Dubai, Düsseldorf, and Antalya. This network shows active regional and international connections.
At Sulaymaniyah’s Jalal Talabani International Airport, officials confirmed that three airlines restarted limited operations. These airlines include Royal Jordanian, Fly Dubai, and Iraqi Airways. Flight activity remains low, with only two to three flights per day compared to normal schedules before the conflict.
Kirkuk Airport has not resumed operations. Airport authorities confirmed that no flights operate there, and the airport remains outside the national flight schedule.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reports steady improvement in national air traffic. However, it says the system has not yet returned to full capacity. Baghdad International Airport currently manages 15 to 18 flights per day, which shows a gradual recovery across Iraq’s aviation sector.
Iraqi airspace closed on 28 February 2026 after a regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Authorities reopened it partially on 10 March 2026. Since then, airlines have resumed flights under controlled conditions across the country.
