(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Iraqi residents in Oman have expressed concerns over some airlines diverting or suspending operations to their country which is struggling to tackle insurgency. Many have either postponed or cancelled their travel plans.
Shoroq L an Iraqi citizen residing in Dhofar said 'We haven't been to Iraq for the past two years because of the situation and we were planning to travel this year. We usually take Royal Jordanian Airlines but we cancelled the travel plan after it suspended operations to Iraq. With more airlines refusing to fly to Iraq I think the flight fares may go up as people will have to choose from whatever is available.'
Abdul Razaq a researcher at a university in Muscat said 'I usually fly to Iraq by Emirates or Air Arabia. But due to the unrest and MH17 tragedy I have postponed my travel. It's a good thing that airlines are taking precautions for the safety of travellers.'
On Wednesday Emirates announced suspension of its flights to Erbil. A statement on its website read 'Emirates flights to Erbil Iraq will be suspended effective August 12 2014 for operational reasons. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. Emirates will continue to operate its daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Basra and four times weekly service to Baghdad.'
Other airlines like flydubai Qatar Airways and Gulf Air are continuing their operations keeping a close watch on the situation.
A flydubai spokesperson told Muscat Daily 'In Iraq we operate to Baghdad Basra Erbil Najaf and Sulaimaniyah. Flydubai flights to Iraq are currently operating according to schedule and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and make any changes if necessary.'
Meanwhile Gulf Air is currently operating three flights daily between Muscat and Bahrain. From Bahrain the airline has three connecting flights to Baghdad and daily flights to Najaf.
An official spokesperson from the airline confirmed 'Given the current political situation we are undertaking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our passengers by preparing contingency plans in case of any perceived threat. These contingency plans could potentially involve suspending flights or rerouting aircraft away from Iraqi or neighbouring airspace.'
A Qatar Airways official said 'We will continue our operations and are not pulling out of the sector yet. But passenger safety is our primary concern and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and make changes if needed.'
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