Air Transport

Governmental authorities in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan are optimistic of convincing Austrian Airlines to resume services to the main Kurdish city, Erbil, after flights were suspended over security concerns.

Austrian stopped its Vienna-Erbil service after the crew of a Nordic Airways Boeing MD-83 claimed to have witnessed an apparent missile attack against the jet after it departed Sulaymaniyah earlier this month. Sulaymaniyah is around 150km (90 miles) south-east of Erbil.

"After thorough investigation [we have] found no evidence of foul play at, or in, the area surrounding Sulaymaniyah airport," says the Kurdistan regional government.

"Security in and around both airports is [our] highest priority and is maintained to the highest degree," it says, adding that the government is "hoping and expecting" that Austrian will resume services.

Austrian Airlines opened its service between Vienna and Erbil, in the northern Iraqi province of Kurdistan, in December last year and had been operating four flights a week.

The Nordic MD-83 had been three or four minutes into its flight to Stockholm and had reached an altitude of 4,000-5,000ft (1,200-1,500m) when the crew reported a flash and arcing light, says the Swedish civil aviation administration. The aircraft was undamaged.

"No-one can prove what happened," it says. But it adds that the crew believes they witnessed an attempted missile attack and the Swedish CAA, after consulting with military authorities, has stopped all civil airline services to Iraq.

Nordic Airways was one of two Swedish carriers operating to Iraq. The other, Viking Airlines, is taking the matter to the Swedish government to try to overturn the ban.

Austrian Airlines, which operated its last flight from Erbil on 24 August, says that its service will remain suspended until further notice.

"We will not be taking any risks and will be observing and assessing the security situation on an ongoing basis. Our intention to reintegrate Erbil into Austrian's scheduled programme, as soon as the security situation improves, is unbroken," says Austrian chief executive Alfred Otsch.