Dubai-based airlines suspend trips to northern Iraq amid safety concerns

Dubai-based airlines flydubai and Emirates have both suspended their flights temporarily to northern Iraqi cities amid fears over the widescale military activities being conducted there and their threat to passenger safety.
On its website, flydubai said, "flights to Irbil and Sulaimaniyah have been temporarily suspended due to expanded military activity in the north of the country.
"The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our priority and we will continue to monitor the situation," added the Dubai Aviation Corporation-owned low-cost carrier.
Emirates airline, who postponed the resumption of suspended flights to Baghdad which had originally been set for March, suspended their flights to Irbil on Saturday.
Flights to Baghdad International Airport were suspended by all four United Arab Emirates airlines - additionally Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways and Sharjah's Air Arabia - in late January after a flydubai plane was shot at during its landing.
Two passengers were reported to have been lightly injured in the incident due to several bullets hitting the plane which witnessed a safe landing.