Mosul airport inaugurated by PM Sudani, full operations expected in two months

MOSUL — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Wednesday inaugurated the newly rebuilt Mosul International Airport, announcing it will become fully operational within two months following the selection of a specialized operating company.

Speaking at the reopening ceremony, Al-Sudani called the airport a strategic asset for Nineveh and the wider country. “Mosul Airport will be fully operational in two months after the selection of a specialized company,” he said. “It will become an added link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and the region.”

The ceremony marked a significant milestone for the city, coinciding with the anniversary of Mosul’s liberation from the Islamic State group in July 2017. Senior federal and local officials attended the event, including the ministers of defense, transport, and culture, along with the Nineveh governor, provincial council members, and lawmakers from the governorate.

Al-Sudani toured the terminal, control tower, and passenger areas, commending the role of the Nineveh administration and the construction teams. He said the airport’s revival would enhance development opportunities and support economic recovery by facilitating regional air travel.

Once fully operational, the airport is expected to accommodate up to 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo annually. The runway has been extended by 350 meters to reach a total length of 3,000 meters and a width of 45 meters, enabling it to receive large passenger and freight aircraft.

New infrastructure includes a main terminal with arrival and departure halls, baggage handling belts, a VIP reception area, runway lighting, and a digital communications system. The control tower has been outfitted with advanced radar surveillance equipment.

Originally destroyed during ISIS occupation, the airport was seized and demolished by the group shortly after Mosul’s fall on June 10, 2014. Runways were booby-trapped, terminals razed, and security facilities gutted. The damage was part of a broader ISIS strategy to entrench itself in the city, which became the symbolic capital of its so-called caliphate.

The site was recaptured in February 2017 following a months-long military campaign involving Iraqi government forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and international coalition partners.