The federal government in Baghdad first imposed the air blockade in September after Kurdistan region voted overwhelmingly for independence in a non-binding referendum rejected as illegal by the central government.

Talwan Siveyli, a spokesman for Erbil’s international airport, told agencies that Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority had issued a statement confirming that the flight ban had been extended until 31 May 2018.

The ban mainly affects the region’s two international airports in the cities of Erbil and Sulaimani, Gulf News reported.

Reporter’s code: 50101