Iraq Reconnects With the World as Mosul Airport Opens
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Fatima Saif
- . July 16, 2025
- . Update: July 16, 2025 8:37 pm
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced the reopening of Mosul International Airport in northern Iraq, a major milestone following years of destruction caused by ISIS militants.
The Iraqi Ministry of Transport has confirmed that the airport is now ready to receive domestic and international flights, with Iraqi Airways being the first airline to offer flights to and from Mosul, while the ministry noted it is willing to work with other airlines that complies with international and Iraqi aviation laws.Reopening the airport is an important milestone for Iraq overall, as ministry spokesperson Maitham Al-Safi has stated it was done under full Iraqi supervision, making it a national success story.
The airport located in Nineveh province was taken over by ISIS militants in 2014 and remained under their authority until 2017. Since that time, the Iraqi government has worked hard to rebuild. An area survey for explosives was conducted in 2019, and in 2020, Iraq signed deals with international companies to completely reconstruct the airport.PM Al-Sudani had even asked officials to have the airport open by June of 2024 to send a strong message of recovery and peace. Mosul Airport is now open, and is expected to create tourism, create business, and boost the local economy. The airport will re-establish the connection between the people and economy of Mosul with Iraq and the world, and signal the start of something new in Mosul following years of war and isolation.
