We will stop flights over Iraq, says Emirates

Emirates believes that other airlines will follow suit
Emirates believes that other airlines will follow suit
AZIZ SHAH/AP

One of the world’s biggest airlines will stop flying over Iraq after concerns about the missile threat posed by Islamist militants on the ground, The Times can reveal.

Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said he believed that other carriers would follow suit, as the airline industry began a review of the way it assessed the risk of flying over conflict zones after the Malaysia Airlines disaster in Ukraine. The loss of Flight MH17 was attributed to a surface-to-air missile fired by pro-Russian separatists.

By the end of the year airlines will have devised a system to share information with each other about contentious flight paths, Sir Tim said.

Greater input from government intelligence agencies about what airspace is considered risky would also be welcome,