Work begins on navigation systems at Mosul Airport, Governor says

Shafaq News/ Installation of air navigation systems and radar equipment at Mosul Airport will begin on January 7, Nineveh Governor Abdulqader al-Dakhil announced on Monday.

“The French company responsible for installing the navigation systems and radar equipment [Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPI),] will commence work tomorrow at Mosul Airport,” al-Dakhil told Shafaq News.

He added that construction is also progressing on the arrivals and departures terminal, the air traffic control tower, the firefighting and rescue building, and runway lighting.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has set June 10 as the official opening date for the airport.

On June 10, 2014, ISIS captured Mosul, proclaiming its so-called caliphate days later after seizing large areas of Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces, supported by a US-led coalition, recaptured the city in July 2017, before declaring the group's defeat nationwide by the end of the year.

The Iraqi prime minister has framed the airport’s opening as “a symbol of resilience.”

During a recent visit to Mosul, al-Sudani instructed that the inauguration coincide with the anniversary of the city’s occupation, describing it as "a message of defiance in the face of terrorism."

According to al-Sudani’s office, over 80% of the airport's runway and terminals have been completed.

Mosul’s airport, which was entirely destroyed during the fighting, has been under reconstruction since August 2022, when then-prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi laid its foundation stone.