Iraq's Skies Clear of Military Restrictions

Ten years after the ban, Iraq announced the opening of areas previously designated for military operations to civil aviation. These areas, stretching from the farthest reaches of Nineveh Governorate to the southern reaches of the Anbar desert, were primarily used for coalition air strikes against ISIS, alongside the Iraqi Air Force. Iraq had imposed the ban on these areas since late 2016. The Iraqi Ministry of Transport confirmed that “the Airspace Management Team at the Air Operations Center has technically verified that the military airspace areas listed in the Iraqi Aeronautical Information Publication are no longer used for military operations.”