Iraq PM reopens Mosul airport years after ISIS devastation

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inaugurated Wednesday the city of Mosul’s newly restored airport, years after it was destroyed in the battle to dislodge the ISIS.

Sudani’s flight landed at the airport, which is expected to become fully operational for domestic and international flights in two months.

“The airport will serve as an additional link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and regional destinations,” the media office of the PM said in a statement.

In June 2014, ISIS seized Mosul, declaring its “caliphate” from the city after capturing large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

After years of fierce battles, Iraqi forces backed by a US-led international coalition dislodged the group from the city in July 2017, before declaring its defeat across the country at the end of that year.

The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has not been operational since the extremists seized Mosul.

In August 2022, then-prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport’s reconstruction.

Airport director Amar al-Bayati told AFP that the “airport is now ready for domestic and international flights,” but no date has been announced for their resumption.

He added that the airport previously offered international flights, mostly to Turkey and Jordan.

The airport now includes a main terminal, a VIP lounge and an advanced radar surveillance system, Sudani’s office said.

Its expected to handle 630,000 passengers annually.