flydubai (FZ, Dubai International) along with Emirates, Air Arabia, RUS Aviation, and Etihad Airways have all suspended their respective services to Baghdad following an attack on a flydubai B737-800 that was on approach into the airport's runway 15L on Sunday.
In the wake of the incident, which saw A6-FEK (msn 40282) sustain light damage from sniper fire emanating from the city's Al-Radwaniya area just south of the airport, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has banned all its airlines from serving the Iraqi capital. Other foreign carriers that have followed suit include Qatar Airways though Turkish Airlines, and MEA - Middle East Airlines have since resumed flights.
The Iraqi government has moved quickly to contain the fallout from the incident which could have severe ramifications for the city, whose economic livelihood is already under threat from Islamic State militants.
“The flydubai plane accident occurred as a result of the pilot changing the plane’s route because strong winds forced him to do a half cycle outside the plane’s usual route,” a spokesman for the Information Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister told IraqiNews.com.
As of January 29, the affected aircraft is still on the ground in Baghdad.
