ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Veteran Kurdish politician and former minister Bangin Rekani, has been appointed head of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), the regulator announced on Wednesday.
Rekani is expected to “officially assume his responsibilities starting this coming Sunday," Jihad Kazem, ICAA’s spokesperson, told Rudaw, citing an executive order from Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
The ICAA is the highest technical, regulatory, and supervisory body governing Iraq’s air transport sector, managing the country’s airspace, issuing operating licenses, and imposing transit fees.
The official appointment letter designating Rekani to lead the institution was issued on Tuesday and bears the signature of Ihsan al-Awadi, chief of staff to the Iraqi prime minister.
Rekani, who served as construction and housing minister in the cabinet of former prime minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani (2022 - 2026), had previously been tasked by Sudani with running the aviation authority in an acting capacity.
He is a veteran politician from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which currently holds 26 seats in Iraq’s 329-member federal parliament.
Between 2010 and 2014, he served as deputy transport minister in the federal government and in 2019, he was appointed justice minister.
Beyond his ministerial roles, Rekani has frequently served as a key representative for KDP leader Masoud Barzani, heading strategic political delegations aimed at mending relations, negotiating budgets, and resolving deadlocks between Erbil and Baghdad.
Malik Mohammed contributed to this report from Erbil, Kurdistan Region.
