Nineveh Provincial Council to vote on new international airport project; member pessimistic on Mosul airport operation

Nineveh Provincial Council member Ahmad al-Abd Rabbe revealed today, Saturday, that the council intends to resolve the file of establishing a new international airport for the governorate, while at the same time expressing his lack of optimism about the possibility of operating the existing Mosul airport in the near term due to pressures that impede the launch of its flights.

Al-Abd Rabbe said the provincial council intends at its next session to put the "Al‑Sahaji" airport project to a vote, with the aim of obliging the Nineveh Investment Authority to open the field to reputable international companies specialized exclusively in constructing and operating international airports. He added that the preoccupation of a number of members and their leaving the last session prevented the decision from being finalized in time.

The council member addressed the current situation of Mosul Airport, expressing his pessimism about its actual opening and operation in the immediate near term despite its official inauguration months ago; citing unknown parties exerting pressure on the federal and local governments to prevent flights to and from it.

Al‑Abd Rabbe affirmed that moving toward the investment option of the Al‑Sahaji Airport has become an urgent necessity to put an end to the disruption of air navigation in Nineveh, and to end the ongoing suffering of citizens who are forced to endure the hardship and costs of traveling via Erbil and Baghdad airports to travel abroad and within the country.

Nineveh MP Abdul Moneim al‑Sinjari had last September called on Prime Minister Ali Faleh al‑Zaidi to intervene to ensure the operation of Mosul International Airport, and to disclose the reasons for the delay in its opening.

Al‑Sinjari said in a press conference held at parliament: "We express our deep displeasure at the continued delay in the operation of Mosul International Airport despite the succession of four governments."

For its part, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority affirmed it continues to follow up on the Mosul International Airport project through regular field visits carried out by its technical and specialized teams, as well as ongoing coordination and communication with the Nineveh provincial administration and relevant parties; "with the aim of completing the necessary requirements for the opening and operation of the airport in accordance with adopted national and international standards."

The authority explained that "the airport has not yet been opened due to a number of basic requirements that have not yet been completed."