Iraq’s premier launches investigation into bear escaping from Iraqi Airways cargo

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani on Saturday launched an investigation into the incident in which a bear escaped from an Iraqi Airways plane's cargo crate, delaying a flight, according to a statement.

Following its landing at Dubai International Airport, the aircraft’s handlers notified the crew that a bear who had been shipped had escaped from the cargo hold, delaying the return flight from the Gulf country to Baghdad.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani instructed the Minister of Transportation to conduct an “immediate and thorough investigation” into the incident after a complaint was received by the premier’s office on a “defect” in the plane.

The Iraqi Airways administration has previously apologized for the circumstance, saying cooperation was made with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to safely contain the bear.

In a video circulating on social media, a passenger onboard is heard complaining about the flight delay due to the bear escape. 

The incident comes as Iraqi Airways is attempting to advance its safety standards in line with the European Union Safety Aviation Agency (EASA) to continue operating in the EU airspace, from which it was banned in 2015.

The government has recently upgraded its fleet. Last week, two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes arrived in Baghdad.

A number of incidents in recent years have stained the Iraqi Airway's reputation, including a brawl among the flight crew over dinner in 2018.