The Federal Aviation Administration banned U.S. airlines from flying in Iraq airspace today, citing "the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict" going on there, reports The Washington Post.
The agency had previously prohibited U.S. airlines from flying below 30,000 feet in the area. Some exceptions may be granted, but such flights will require authorization from the FAA or other U.S. governmental agencies, the Post notes. The FAA's new guidance comes just hours after American warplanes bombed artillery equipment being used by the extremist group ISIS near the Kurdish capital of Erbil in northern Iraq. President Barack Obama authorized limited airstrikes against ISIS on Thursday.
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