Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq on Wednesday postponed the opening of MosulInternational Airport due to several unresolved requirements, the CivilAviation Authority (CAA) stated.
The CAA revealed that among the incomplete requirements arethe failure to appoint a structural auditing consultant for the project, whichit described as a key condition for completing technical review andcertification procedures. The authority also pointed to the unresolved issue ofselecting an airport operator, with no final decision made on whether theMinistry of Transport, the local government, or another entity will run thefacility.
Additionally, approach and departure procedures required foraircraft landings and takeoffs have not yet been finalized, a key technicalrequirement for ensuring air traffic safety.
About the Airport
ISIS seized Mosul in June 2014 and destroyed the airport'smain passenger terminal, control tower, and fire stations. Trenches were dugacross the runways and debris scattered to deny Iraqi forces use of the site;clearance of explosive devices and landmines took approximately 18 months,concluding in 2019. Iraqi forces drove ISIS from the city in July 2017 after amonths-long urban battle that left large parts of Mosul in ruins.
Reconstruction began in August 2022 under then-PrimeMinister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani formallyinaugurated the facility on July 16, 2025, with a runway extended to 3,000meters to accommodate large commercial aircraft and a stated annual capacity of630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo.
Domestic flights commenced on November 6, 2025. Theairport's first international flight since reopening departed January 26, 2026,carrying 157 Umrah pilgrims from Nineveh to Medina.
: Mosul airport still grounded by red tape, MPs say
