Mosul Airport delays push Nineveh toward new airport
Shafaq News- Nineveh
Continued delays in bringing Mosul International Airport into full regular operation are pushing Nineveh’s Provincial Council toward plans for a new international airport at Al-Sahaji, council member Ahmed Al-Abd Rabbo told Shafaq News on Saturday.
Despite Mosul Airport’s formal inauguration, Al-Abd Rabbo voiced pessimism that full operations would begin soon, alleging that unnamed parties were pressuring the federal and local governments to prevent regular flights from operating. He didn’t provide further details about the parties he mentioned.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority has attributed the continued delay to outstanding operational requirements. Technical teams have remained in contact with Nineveh authorities and other relevant bodies to complete the steps needed for the airport to operate in line with national and international standards.
Against that backdrop, the Provincial Council is expected to vote at its next session on the proposed Al-Sahaji airport project. The plan would require the Nineveh Investment Commission to open the way for reputable international companies specializing in the construction and operation of international airports.
Read more: Operational gaps push back Mosul Airport opening
The decision was not finalized at the previous council session after several members, occupied with other matters, left the meeting.
Al-Abd Rabbo argued that pursuing Al-Sahaji as an investment project had become necessary to ease Nineveh’s continuing air-travel difficulties, with many residents still forced to use Erbil or Baghdad airports for domestic and international travel.
Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani formally inaugurated Mosul International Airport on July 16, 2025, after the reconstruction of the facility, which had been heavily damaged during the war against ISIS. The rebuilt airport has a 3,000-meter runway capable of accommodating large commercial aircraft and a stated annual capacity of about 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of air cargo.
Domestic commercial flights began in November 2025, while the first international flight since reopening departed for Medina in January 2026 with 157 Umrah pilgrims. The airport has nevertheless remained short of full regular operations and a complete operating license.
In September, Nineveh lawmaker Abdul-Moneim Al-Sanjari called on Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to intervene to ensure Mosul International Airport begins full operations and explain the continuing delays, describing the delay as unacceptable after four successive governments had overseen the project.
