Baghdad Airport closed over dispute with British firm

Baghdad’s International Airport was closed today after the British company providing security suspended operations because of a payments dispute with Iraq’s Ministry of Transport, officials said.

A statement by the company, London-based Global Strategies Group, said the ministry – which owns the sprawling complex 12 miles from central Baghdad – “is not currently paying the company for the services it has rendered".

No payment had been received for the last seven months, it said.

The statement said that since it took over responsibility last year for security at the airport, the number of flights had risen from 2-3 a day to about 50 “while security incidents have fallen to virtually nil.”

The company said its staff would continue securing the facility, but that normal airport operations would be suspended until further notice.

“Once payment is made by the client, Global will resume its work and allow normal operations to resume.”

An airport official said Global informed management last week that it planned to stop work because of unresolved financial problems with the government.