- Title: IRAQ-AIRPORT/SHOOTING Airlines suspend Baghdad flights after airplane shooting
- Date: 27th January 2015
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JANUARY 27, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SIGN READING IN ARABIC "BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" IRAQI AIRWAYS AIRLINER MOVING ON RUNWAY IRAQI AND IRANIAN AIRLINERS ON TARMAC IRANIAN AIRLINER ON TARMAC SIGN OF IRANIAN AIRWAYS ON FUSELAGE OF PLANE PASSENGERS GETTING OFF PLANE PASSENGER TRANSPORT VEHICLE IRAQI AIRWAYS AIRLINER LANDING CLOSE OF IRAQI AIRWAYS AIRLINER SIGN OF IRAQI AIRWAYS ON PLANE FUSELAGE IRAQI TRANSPORT MINISTER BAYAN JABOOR GETTING OFF PLANE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI TRANSPORT MINISTER, BAYAN JABOOR, SAYING: "According to what I have been told by the brothers at the Civil Aviation Authority high winds had made the use of the secure flight path, which was previously defined by the security forces, impossible. Therefore, they were forced to use a second flight path, which runs around al-Taji and Abu Ghraib (areas). An incident happened to a flydubai airliner where three bullets hit the body of the plane. The hit was not too serious, a girl was lightly wounded." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI TRANSPORT MINISTER, BAYAN JABOOR, SAYING: "The attack took place outside the airport and the plane was flying at an altitude of 600 metres and was about to land on the runway. Security forces came to the airport today and talked to the (Civil Aviation) Authority and promised to take security measures. They defined the source (of attack) and they will address the matter. A similar attack took place at the same place before and I think the measures will be a deterrent." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI TRANSPORT MINISTER, BAYAN JABOOR, SAYING: "Some of the airlines have suspended flights. They sent telegrams and we do not have a problem with those who suspend flights. Today, we have mobilised all the airliners of the Iraqi Airways. So far we have 19 flights in addition to the scheduled evening flights. We have more than 19 flights by IranAir and a number of other Iranian airlines, which I cannot remember names of." SECURITY MONITORING BALLOON FLYING OVER AIRPORT IRAQI AIRWAYS AIRLINERS ON TARMAC / SECURITY BALLOON
- Embargoed: 11th February 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABVANVB92TXDZTXYT27UP838QJ
- Story Text: Iraq's transport minister pledged on Tuesday (January 27) to prevent attacks on aircraft using Baghdad's international airport a day after bullets hit a plane operated by budget carrier Dubai Aviation Corp during landing.
Bayan Jaboor denied reports the airport itself was threatened and said a young girl with a small scratch was the only person injured in the incident.
Jaboor said the plane was hit at an altitude of 600 meters (2,000 feet) by gunfire from what he judged was a light machine gun.
"According to the Civil Aviation Authority high winds had made the use of the secure flight path impossible. They were forced to use a second flight path.
"Three bullets hit the body of the plane. The hit was not too serious, a girl was lightly wounded," Jaboor told media at the airport.
A security official told Reuters earlier the authorities had rounded up suspects in farmlands south of the airport, which sits on the city's western outskirts.
Iraqi Shi'ite-led government, backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, has been trying to push back Islamic State militants since they swept through northern Iraq in June.
But the nearest fighting to Baghdad's airport is on the western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, more than 10 km (6 miles) away.
Jaboor did not rule out that the shooting could be a "terrorist" incident, but said security forces had identified the source and were addressing it.
"Security forces came to the airport today and talked to the Authority and promised to take security measures. They defined the source (of the attack) and they will address the matter. I think the measures will be a deterrent," he said.
Six airlines from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Lebanon suspended service to Baghdad earlier in the day after three or four bullets hit the body of the plane on Monday evening.
It remained unclear whether the shooting was intentional. Guns are widely available in Iraq and celebratory gunfire into the air is not uncommon.
An aviation official said Iraq had briefly suspended air traffic on Monday following the incident but permitted it to resume on Tuesday morning.
However, flydubai, Emirates Airlines, Sharjah's Air Arabia and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways suspended flights on Tuesday, in line with a directive from the United Arab Emirates' civil aviation authority.
It was not clear when the airlines would resume service. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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