newstodate.aero
Sep 11, 2007 (newstodate): It has now been confirmed that there was indeed a missile attack, albeit aborted, on a Swedish MD-83 aircraft taking off from Sulaimaniyah Airport in Kurdish Iraq on August 9.
The cockpit crew reported seeing a strong light burst, but the aircraft continued unharmed and landed as planned in Sweden.
Since then all direct flights from Sweden to Iraq have been banned by the Swedish LFV that is still investigating the incident together with the AMCC that is controlling the Iraqi airspace.
-We have no indication of when the investigation is concluded, and in the meantime we rely on indirect services via Istanbul, soon to be changed into flights from Stockholm to Beirut from where another airline operates the leg to and from Iraq, says Anders Soderlind, Res Nu I Stockholm, that provides the service.
-The problem is to find an airline with aircraft of sufficient size to allow us to serve our customers. It is indeed demanding and little profitable, but we hope a solution will be found soon.
According to Mr Soderlind, expactations are that Sulaimaniyah Airport will be re-opened first, with Erbil that has a more demanding environment to follow later.
The cockpit crew reported seeing a strong light burst, but the aircraft continued unharmed and landed as planned in Sweden.
Since then all direct flights from Sweden to Iraq have been banned by the Swedish LFV that is still investigating the incident together with the AMCC that is controlling the Iraqi airspace.
-We have no indication of when the investigation is concluded, and in the meantime we rely on indirect services via Istanbul, soon to be changed into flights from Stockholm to Beirut from where another airline operates the leg to and from Iraq, says Anders Soderlind, Res Nu I Stockholm, that provides the service.
-The problem is to find an airline with aircraft of sufficient size to allow us to serve our customers. It is indeed demanding and little profitable, but we hope a solution will be found soon.
According to Mr Soderlind, expactations are that Sulaimaniyah Airport will be re-opened first, with Erbil that has a more demanding environment to follow later.