Mosul airport cleared for direct flights to Saudi Arabia

MOSUL — Nineveh Gov. Abdul Qader Al-Dakhil said Sunday that Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority has approved direct flights from the newly rebuilt Mosul International Airport to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

In a Facebook post, Al-Dakhil said, “Good news for the people of the governorate. Pilgrims from Nineveh, for Hajj and Umrah, will be able to travel directly to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia through direct flights from Mosul Airport after the approval of the head of the Civil Aviation Authority and Minister of Construction and Housing, Bengin Rikani.”

Al-Dakhil said the airport was reopened last year in the presence of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, ending an 11-year suspension after the Islamic State group seized the city. He has previously said the facility was completed to high technical standards and would help attract investors and capital, support development and investment, and ease travel for Nineveh’s population of about 5 million.

The airport was rebuilt with a main terminal for departures and arrivals, baggage conveyor systems, a VIP reception hall, advanced radar for air traffic monitoring, navigational runway lighting, and digital communications systems in the control tower. The main runway was extended by 350 meters to a total length of 3,000 meters and a width of 45 meters, designed to accommodate large passenger and cargo aircraft. Once fully operational, the airport is expected to handle up to 630,000 passengers and about 30,000 tons of cargo annually.

The approval follows earlier steps to restore operations at the airport. In October, Al-Sudani directed authorities to begin domestic flights from Mosul International Airport starting Nov. 1, pending completion of licensing requirements and final negotiations with international operators to prepare the facility for full international service.