Direct Flights to Sulaymaniyah to Resume

Direct flights will resume soon from Tehran to Sulaymaniyah, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, almost nine months after Baghdad imposed an air ban on the region in retaliation for an independence vote. Dana Mohammad, media manager at Sulaymaniyah International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan, said Tuesday Iranian airlines are getting ready to resume inbound and outbound flights to the airport, Mehr News Agency reported. He said he expects the flights to resume next month. Flights from Tehran to Erbil, another major city in Iraqi Kurdistan, resumed in April 2017, making travel possible from Tehran to Iraqi Kurdistan region twice a week. Following notification from the Baghdad government, foreign airlines suspended flights to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah last September. The notice was issued in response to the region’s controversial move to hold an independence referendum.