The Associated Press
August 26, 2007
VIENNA, Austria: Austrian Airlines said Sunday it has suspended service to the northern Iraqi city of Irbil because of security concerns.
The airline said the flight Friday evening was its last until further notice, following a security review in the Kurdish-controlled city about 350 kilometers (215 miles) north of Baghdad.
The decision was based partially on an incident earlier this month involving a Swedish jetliner that allegedly came under rocket fire as it left Sulaimaniyah, also in northern Iraq, the airline said.
Iraqi aviation officials denied that the Nordic Airways plane was targeted, but Sweden since has suspended commercial flights to the country.
Austrian Airlines had launched twice-weekly service between Vienna and Irbil in December.
"The security of passengers and colleagues is always a priority for us," airline CEO Alfred Oetsch said in a statement. He said a decision on whether to resume service would be made after a thorough evaluation.
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