Iraq cancels three contracts for Mosul International Airport

The design of Mosul International Airport. Photo: 4barchitects Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi issued an order on Saturday to terminate contracts with three companies that operate at Mosul International Airport due to alleged ties to armed organizations. According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), al-Zaidi ordered that the work at the airport be awarded to foreign firms instead. The move brings a security and governance dimension to the already complicated process of opening up the northern Iraqi airport. The decision covers three agreements. One deal is with Sky Plus to lease airport counters, the second is with Sama al-Matar to lease an outdoor parking lot, and the third is with al-Faisal al-Shamikh to lease a taxi office. In mid-October, al-Zaidi called on foreign firms specializing in airport management and operations to invest in Mosul International Airport and develop its services. Mosul International Airport, according to al-Zaidi, is more than just a service project; it is a critical gateway for the province and Iraq as a whole. “We do not want the participating companies to merely construct a service terminal; rather, we want them to collaborate in turning the airport into an important service landmark,” al-Zaidi said. Mosul International Airport, which was previously destroyed by ISIS terrorists, is the third most important airport in Iraq, following Baghdad International Airport and Basra International Airport. December 2, 2007, marked the airport’s reopening following substantial runway and facility upgrades. It was first created as a civil airport in 1990. The airport became a key military site after it was overrun by the terrorist organization ISIS in June 2014. They held it until the Iraqi army took it back on February 23, 2017. Following its liberation, Mosul International Airport underwent renovations. By November 2019, de-mining activities were finished, and plans for a thorough reconstruction were initiated. To complete the airport’s renovation, the Iraqi government inked contracts with SEA Milan Airports and Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie in December 2020.