Iraq to reopen Mosul International Airport in June

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is set to reopen Mosul International Airport on June 10, over eight years after the city was recaptured from Islamic State (ISIS) militants and with the airport more than 80 percent complete, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said on Sunday. 

The airport in Iraq’s second-largest northern city of Mosul will be “officially opened on June 10, coinciding with the anniversary of Mosul’s occupation, sending a message of defiance against terrorism,” said a statement from Sudani’s office. 

Sudani was on a visit to Nineveh province where he was briefed on developments projects, including progress on the much-anticipated airport. According to his office, the current completion rate exceeds 80 percent. 

The airport was severely damaged during the years-long war against ISIS, when the jihadists overran large swathes of Iraq, including Mosul, in their quest to establish a so-called “caliphate.”

“Mosul International Airport is one of the most significant airports in Iraq, following Baghdad and Basra airports. It was systematically destroyed by terrorism, with damage reaching 100%,” Sudani’s office said. 

ISIS was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 but the damage it incurred on the country’s infrastructure continues to impede civilians’ lives.