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State Department on Danger of Flying in Iraqi Airspace

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release November 3, 2000

STATEMENT BY SPOKESMAN RICHARD BOUCHER

REGULATIONS GOVERNING FLIGHTS TO IRAQ

Recent humanitarian flights to Baghdad have heightened our continuing
concern for the safety of aircraft operating anywhere within Iraqi
territory or airspace. We are particularly concerned because of
aggressive Iraqi activities south of 33 degrees north latitude and
north of 36 degrees north latitude; it is important that any foreign
aircraft that do fly to or from Iraq avoid these areas and proceed
only through the safest possible air corridors between 33 and 36
degrees north latitude.

In order to help ensure persons and organizations considering
humanitarian flights are informed of circumstances and dangers
relevant to air operations within Iraq, we draw attention to the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration's Special Federal Aviation Regulation
77 (SFAR 77) regarding Iraq. Effective since 1996, SFAR 77 prohibits
U.S. flight operations over or within the territory and airspace of
Iraq because of the threat of harm and undue hazard to civil aircraft.
While SFAR 77 applies to U.S. air carriers and commercial and private
operators, it serves more broadly as a timely and relevant warning of
the dangers of flight operations in Iraq. SAFR 77 continues in full
effect and states in part:

On September 3, 1996, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein urged his air
defense forces to . . . attack "any air target of the aggressors."
This threat was not limited specifically to the aircraft of the U.S.
military and the coalition forces. The threat could also apply to any
civilian aircraft that might attempt to enter the area. [T]he Iraqi
military still possesses a wide range of sophisticated weapons that
potentially could be used to attack civil aviation aircraft overflying
Iraq at cruising altitudes.

Foreign aircraft that do fly to or from Iraq should at all times while
in Iraqi airspace remain on air corridors between 33 and 36 degrees
north latitude. We caution that the areas of Iraq south of 33 degrees
north latitude and north of 36 degrees north latitude are areas of
continuous military operations and present significant dangers to
aircraft and passengers. Iraqi military ground forces have widely
deployed anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles
throughout these areas and routinely fire on patrolling coalition
aircraft. We advise any aircraft operating in Iraq to avoid these
areas completely.

Foreign aircraft operators proposing to conduct flight operations to
or from Iraq should comply fully with United Nations Security Council
resolutions and all applicable UN Iraq Sanctions Committee procedures.

Persons and organizations seeking further information on SFAR 77, may
wish to visit the FAA's website at www.intl.faa.gov.