Shafaq News- Nineveh

Mosul International Airport could receive its operating license within a few months, Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader al-Dakhil announced on Wednesday, after the Provincial Council and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) agreed on the remaining steps needed to complete the process.

Under the arrangement, reached during a meeting at the ICAA headquarters with the approval of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Nineveh province will appoint a specialized consultant to review project designs and complete plans for aircraft approach and departure procedures. The council and the authority will also jointly select an airport operator in line with international standards.

Following the prime minister's ratification of the meeting minutes, the remaining tasks are to be completed within three months, after which the ICAA will issue the airport's operating license.

Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inaugurated the airport on July 16, 2025, with a runway extended to 3,000 meters to accommodate large commercial aircraft and a stated annual capacity of 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo. It had been expected to become fully operational within two months, but the process stalled and the airport remained closed.

In May, a bloc of Nineveh lawmakers blamed the provincial government, the contracted construction company, and the ICAA for the delay, accusing the aviation authority of dragging its feet on licensing obligations. The authority, however, pointed to unresolved requirements, including the appointment of a structural auditing consultant and the selection of an operator —issues the new agreement seeks to address.