Contact your airline or booking agent first. Ask about a confirmed replacement flight, onward connections and refund options. Ask what assistance is available for accommodation and meals. These are questions to ask, not a guarantee of reimbursement or compensation.
- Before leaving for the airport, confirm your specific flight with the airline. The FCDO warns that schedules may change without notice. Save the cancellation notice and receipts as a precaution.
- Arrange secure accommodation and trusted transport if you must wait. At airports, do not accept help or transport from unidentified strangers. Follow local authorities' instructions, including any instruction to shelter.
- Check your government's travel advice and your actual airport's official updates. For Erbil in the Kurdistan Region, use the airport's flight search. Do not assume information about Erbil applies to Baghdad or other federal Iraqi airports.
- Before buying an alternative route, check its operation and ask the relevant authorities about entry, transit and exit requirements. Do not treat a road journey to another airport or border as automatically safe. FCDO describes road travel within Iraq as dangerous. Ask your insurer about your cover before incurring extra costs.
If you need consular help, contact your own embassy or consulate. Do not rely on an evacuation being available. This answer does not confirm that any airport or route is open or safe.
Sources: FCDO safety and transport advice, FCDO Iraq warnings, Erbil International Airport.
Checked on 2026-10-25.