Coming soon:

An explanation of the details of the Iraqi Aviation Program and Iraqi Aerospace Consortium, including the following:

• Air Iraq
• Iraq Airports
• Iraq CAA (Civil Aviation Administration)
• Iraq aerospace for national and international regulatory organizations
• Assessment and resolution of the former Iraqi Airways
• History of Air Iraq

History

The reopening of the former Saddam International Airport, since renamed Baghdad International by Coalition forces, is said to be imminent. Initial flights, however, will be restricted to humanitarian aid. Iraqi Airways is keen to resume flights to the Gulf States and international destinations.

Iraq was previously an international aviation hub, although non-domestic services ceased in 1991 following the invasion of Kuwait, when the UN placed restrictions and a no-fly zone was enforced. Some charter flights have operated, bringing in medicines and other provisions. An unofficial but intermittent domestic service has also emerged in recent years.

There are six major civil aviation airports: Baghdad International, Basra, Mosul, Kirkuk, Bamerny and Al Muthana. Recently, plans were announced to build a further four facilities. Those at ninawa, which is 400 km north of Baghdad, and Najaf, 160 km to the south, were to have an annual passenger capacity of two million, while those at Tamim, 255 km northeast of Baghdad, and Missan, 360 km south, would serve as domestic airports handling around 400,000 passengers per year.

Baghdad International is a shared facility with the military. However, while the air force runway suffered severe damage during recent hostilities, the 4,000 m civilian runway remained virtually intact when the facility was captured by US forces on April 3. The airport, which likes 16 km west of the city, was built in phases by a French consortium at a cost of US$ 900 million. Its present area was completed in 1987, with the three passenger terminals capable of accommodating 7.5 million passengers per year, while the freight terminal can handle 75,000 tons. Domestic flights out of the airport recommenced on August 17, 2000, after 10 years of effective disuse.

Basra airport, which is situated in the Abu Sakhar district 15 km from the city center, was opened on August 20, 1989, having been built by a German consortium. It was upgraded in recent years at a cost of US$ 400 million, and now has a 4,000 m long runway and is capable of handling two million passengers per year and 25,000 tons of cargo.

Mosul airport, which is in that city's Al Ghazalini district, opened in 1992 having cost ID 5 billion to build. It has a 2,880 m long runway and an annual capacity of 500,000 passengers.