Shafaq News- Nineveh
Mosul International Airport couldreceive its operating license within a few months, Nineveh Governor Abdul Qaderal-Dakhil announced on Wednesday, after the Provincial Council and the Iraqi Civil AviationAuthority (ICAA) agreed on the remaining steps needed to complete the process.
Under the arrangement, reachedduring a meeting at the ICAA headquarters with the approval of Prime MinisterAli al-Zaidi, Nineveh province will appoint a specialized consultant to reviewproject designs and complete plans for aircraft approach and departureprocedures. The council and the authority will also jointly select an airportoperator in line with international standards.
Following the prime minister'sratification of the meeting minutes, the remaining tasks are to be completedwithin three months, after which the ICAA will issue the airport's operatinglicense.
Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaal-Sudani inaugurated the airport on July 16, 2025, with a runway extended to3,000 meters to accommodate large commercial aircraft and a stated annualcapacity of 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo. It had been expectedto become fully operational within two months, but the process stalled and theairport remained closed.
In May, a bloc of Nineveh lawmakersblamed the provincial government, the contracted construction company, and the ICAAfor the delay, accusing the aviation authority of dragging its feet onlicensing obligations. The authority, however, pointed to unresolvedrequirements, including the appointment of a structural auditing consultant andthe selection of an operator —issues the new agreement seeks to address.
