ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi transportation ministry has issued a directive to temporarily suspend several officials at Baghdad International Airport and to explore the reasons behind the recent flight delays stranding many international tourists. Iraqi Transport Minister Razzaq Saadawi ordered the formation of a committee to “investigate the causes of the incident and to take necessary legal actions.” The personnel suspensions are set for 60 days “to ensure the integrity of the investigation,” according to a statement from the transportation ministry’s media office on Sunday. On Saturday, Iraqi Airways blamed a crew shortage for flight cancellations that left thousands of travelers stranded, as they were trying to return home after the Arbaeen pilgrimage. Footage shared widely across social media platforms had showed the busy airport with individuals yelling and shouting. More than 3.5 million foreign pilgrims entered Iraq for the Shiite commemoration of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, who died in a battle fought in Karbala in 680 AD. Many of the pilgrims came from Lebanon, Turkey, Kuwait, and Iran for a symbolic 80-kilometer walk from Najaf to Karbala - both Shiite holy cities. In April 2023, the director of the airport resigned following an encounter with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, where the premier strongly criticized the director for the airport’s poor quality of services. Sudani criticized the lack of cooling, delay in baggage retrieval, and lack of organization. Baghdad International Airport, Iraq’s largest, was first opened in 1982 as Saddam International Airport, named after the country’s then-dictator Saddam Hussein. The airport was renamed after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
