KABUL: (Middle East Press) Airlines from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have issued a ban on flights to the Iraqi capital after an aircraft was targeted by gunfire during approaching Baghdad.
Dubai Aviation Corporation, FlyDubai, said that Flight FZ215 was hit by “small arms fire” before landing at Baghdad International Airport from Dubai on Monday evening.
The fuselage of the plane carrying 154 passengers was damaged but nobody was injured in the attack.
A statement issued by FlyDubai saying “All the passengers disembarked normally through the jet bridge. No medical attention was required at the airport,”
According to the airliner, a replacement aircraft was flown to Iraq to carry passengers back to Dubai.
Following the attack, FlyDubai, Emirates Airlines, Sharjah’s Air Arabia and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways suspended flights to Baghdad.
Etihad Airways said the decision was in line with a UAE General Civil Aviation Authority ban on operation to and from Baghdad on security grounds.
An investigation has been launched into the incident.
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