The state-owned Iraqi Airways is scheduled to resume flights to Turkey on Saturday via Jalal Talabani International Airport. 

The Public Relations and Media Department of Jalal Talabani airport announced on Friday that "According to the schedule sent to the airport by Iraqi Airways, flights are scheduled to begin tomorrow, Saturday, May 16, 2026, between Sulaymaniyah and Istanbul (Sulaymaniyah-Istanbul-Sulaymaniyah) from Jalal Talabani International Airport.”

Airport Closure Following  Regional Conflicts

The airport was last forced to halt operations during a 40-day country-wide airspace closure sparked by regional military conflicts, involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Following a stabilization of security, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority lifted the blanket restriction on April 8, allowing carriers like Iraqi Airways to resume service. 

Turkish Airspace Reopens Airspace After Years

Turkish authorities banned flights to Jalal Talabani International Airport—then known as Sulaymaniyah International Airport—on April 3, 2023. 

However, on October 15 last year, the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority officially lifted the restriction and reopened its airspace to flights serving the airport.