A Turkish Airlines (THY) aircraft that had been grounded at Baghdad International Airport for 13 days due to the conflict between Iran and Israel has finally taken off today to return to Istanbul.
According to data from the flight tracking platform FlightRadar, the Airbus A321 with tail number TC-LSO departed from Baghdad Airport. The aircraft is expected to land at Istanbul Airport shortly.
Grounded Due to Conflict
The aircraft was stranded in Baghdad after Iraqi airspace was closed during the Iran-Israel conflict. During this period, Turkish Airlines had suspended all flights to Iraq for security reasons.
THY Resumes Iraq Flights Today
After a 13-day suspension, Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Iraq today. THY General Manager Bilal Ekşi announced on social media, “We are resuming flights to Iraq (Erbil and Baghdad) starting Wednesday.”
As part of the resumed operations, flights to and from Erbil and Baghdad will continue gradually.
Ministry of Transport: Evacuation Plans in Effect
Previously, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that evacuation plans for aircraft stranded in Iraq and Iran were ongoing, and that flight crews had been brought back to Turkey via land routes.
Today’s flight marks the first successful evacuation and resumption of operations following the crisis.
