Mosul Airport to begin domestic flights on November 1

NINEVEH — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Sunday directed authorities to begin operating Mosul International Airport for domestic flights starting November 1, while final negotiations continue with international companies to prepare the facility for global operations.

In a statement, Al-Sudani’s office said the prime minister “directed that Mosul Airport begin operations on November 1 for domestic flights only, to other Iraqi airports, until the contract with the operating company is finalized.”

The statement added that the airport administration is completing the requirements to obtain an operating license from the Civil Aviation Authority and will conduct domestic operations “temporarily through self-efforts by the airport administration.” It said the Ministry of Transport and Nineveh governorate, under Al-Sudani’s supervision, have reached “final negotiation stages with specialized international companies” to ready the airport for international flights.

Al-Sudani last visited Mosul on July 16, when he inaugurated the rebuilt facility and described it as a “strategic asset for Nineveh and the wider country.” At the time, he said the airport would be “fully operational in two months after the selection of a specialized company,” calling it a vital link between Mosul, other Iraqi cities, and the region.

The July ceremony coincided with the anniversary of Mosul’s liberation from the Islamic State group in 2017 and was attended by senior officials, including the ministers of defense, transport, and culture, along with Nineveh’s governor and lawmakers from the province.

Reconstruction of the airport included an extended runway now measuring 3,000 meters long and 45 meters wide, capable of accommodating large passenger and cargo aircraft. The facility also features a modern terminal with arrival and departure halls, baggage systems, a VIP reception area, runway lighting, and advanced communication networks.

The control tower has been equipped with upgraded radar and surveillance systems, and the airport is designed to handle up to 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo annually once fully operational.

Mosul International Airport was destroyed during the war with the Islamic State after the group seized the city in 2014. Militants demolished terminals, booby-trapped runways, and wrecked control systems before the site was retaken by Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and coalition partners in February 2017.