tirsdag 27. januar 2015

Sivilt fly beskutt nær Baghdad - FlyDubai

FlyDubai Plane Shot at During Baghdad Flight Amid Iraq Turmoil

A FlyDubai aircraft landed in Baghdad with damage to its fuselage that suggests the Boeing Co. (BA:US) 737 was shot at, the discount carrier said today.

An examination of the plane following yesterday's flight revealed damage "consistent with small arms fire," FlyDubai said in an e-mailed statement.

While passengers disembarked Flight FZ215 normally and no medical attention was required, the airline has suspended the daily Dubai-Baghdad service while the incident is investigated.

Emirates, the world's biggest international carrier and also based in Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Air Arabia PJSC (AIRARABI) of Sharjah also canceled flights to Baghdad until further notice at the instruction of the United Arab Emirates civil aviation authority.

Lebanon's Middle East Airlines also scrapped its return flight to Baghdad today, according to the carrier's website.

Iraqi forces are fighting Islamic State militants who took over large swathes of the country in June. Still, the route from Dubai follows the Persian Gulf before aircraft entering Iraqi airspace near Basra, descending into Baghdad over territory not generally associated with militant activity.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2015-01-27/flydubai-plane-shot-at-during-baghdad-flight-amid-iraq-turmoil


Airlines suspend Baghdad flights as shots fired at plane

A flydubai flight landed safely after shots were fired at it as it landed on Monday. Photo: AFP

Airlines have suspended flights to Baghdad after a low-cost carrier had shots fired at it as it came in to land on Monday.

Flydubai Flight FZ 215, carrying 154 people, landed safely at Baghdad International Airport just before 5pm local time on Monday after it reported being shot at by small arms.

The no-frills Dubai carrier earlier said that damage had been discovered to the fuselage of one of its aircraft "consistent with small arms fire" after it landed at Baghdad on Monday.

Flydubai, Emirates Airlines, Sharjah's Air Arabia and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways suspended flights following the incident, in line with a directive from the United Arab Emirates' civil aviation authority.

"After landing at Baghdad International Airport (BGW) on 26 January 2015, damage to the aircraft fuselage consistent with small arms fire was discovered on flydubai flight FZ 215," a company spokesperson said.

The spokesperson denied that any passengers had required medical treatment and said an investigation was underway.

All 154 passengers disembarked normally and no medical attention was required.

It was unclear who was behind the shooting, and whether the plane was deliberately targeted at the highly secure Baghdad airport.

Baghdad airport staff confirmed there had been disruption to flights after Monday's incident.

"The plane was able to land normally but some airlines have cancelled or delayed their flights today," one airport employee said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Flights from some of the other major airlines flying to Baghdad, such as Turkish Airlines and Royal Jordanian, were delayed, their websites showed.

Western airlines flying over Iraq have taken extra precautions in recent months for fear that jihadists of the Islamic State group might acquire weapons able to hit cruising airliners.

Baghdad International Airport is located west of the capital, near the province of Anbar, which is largely controlled by IS fighters.

The aviation official said Iraq had briefly suspended air traffic on Monday following the incident but that most flights had resumed on Tuesday morning. 

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