IRAQ: Iraqi PM Eyes Foreign Firm to Manage Mosul Airport

MOSUL, Iraq

• Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has called on international companies specializing in airport management and operations to invest in the running and management of Mosul International Airport (OSM/ORBM).
• The Iraqi government is trying to expand aviation services in northern Iraq's Nineveh province.

• Mosul International Airport briefly resumed domestic operations in November last year after an 11-year closure following its near destruction during fighting between Iraqi security forces and ISIS. It also hosted Hajj flights carrying pilgrims to Saudi Arabia earlier this year but remains closed for security reasons.
• The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) said in June this year that although works are complete, it would not award Mosul an operator's licence until it had addressed several outstanding issues including appointing a structural auditing consultant for the project, which it described as a key condition for completing technical review and certification procedures, and selecting an airport operator, with no final decision made on whether the Iraqi Ministry of Transport, the local government, or another entity would manage the aerodrome.
• Reconstruction of the airport began in August 2022 with a budget of IQD 200 billion Iraqi dinars (USD 131.8 million at the time).
• The airport features a main terminal hall, a VIP lounge, modern radar systems and a single runway, 15/33, of dimension 2,650 x 45m. It is one of seven designated international gateways in the country.
• The airport is designed to accommodate up to 630,000 passengers and handle 30,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

Sources:

• Rudaw
• ICAA PR