Lufthansa says to resume flights to Arbil in northern Iraq

(Reuters) – German airline Deutsche Lufthansa said it would resume flights to and from Arbil in northern Iraq starting on Monday, but would continue to avoid airspace above the area controlled by the Islamic State militant group. Flights to Asia and other parts of the Middle East also would continue to detour around Iraq, Europe’s largest airline by revenue said in an emailed statement on Sunday. The changes in flight routes would apply to Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Austrian Airlines and Swiss, the carrier said, adding that the new flight routes would not significantly lengthen flight times. Lufthansa’s decision came a day after Royal Jordanian – one of the main airlines serving Iraq – said it had suspended all flights to Baghdad for at least 24 hours for security reasons.