Nasiriyah airport on track for opening by end of year, minister says

DHI QAR — Iraq’s Minister of Transport Razzaq al-Saadaoui said Wednesday that Nasiriyah International Airport will begin operations before the end of 2025, with most of its key infrastructure nearing completion.

He said structural buildings are 95% finished and overall progress stands at about 85%, including access roads and incoming equipment. “There is significant progress and increasing completion rates in the work on the Nasiriyah International Airport project,” al-Saadaoui said in a statement.

The $280 million project is designed to serve up to 750,000 passengers annually and will provide new connectivity for residents of Dhi Qar and neighboring governorates. Iraq currently operates eight international airports.

Al-Saadaoui said the facility will “strengthen Iraq’s air transport infrastructure,” while the Prime Minister’s Office has previously noted that site-related disputes remain one of the challenges to finalizing the project.

The announcement comes two months after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inaugurated the rebuilt Mosul International Airport, which will handle up to 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo per year once fully operational.