Newsletters
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday ordered the cancellation of contracts with three companies operating at Mosul International Airport over reported links to armed groups. He directed that the work be awarded to international firms instead, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The decision adds a security and governance dimension to the troubled reopening of the northern Iraqi airport. It was rebuilt after years of devastation but has yet to see regular commercial service.
An unnamed source told INA that the order covers three agreements. One is Sky Plus’s contract to lease airport counters. Another is Sama al-Matar’s contract to lease an open-air parking lot on airport grounds. The third is Al-Faisal al-Shamikh’s contract to lease a taxi office.
The source did not say which armed groups were involved or what form the companies’ reported links took. Nor did the source say when the contracts would be reassigned.
In a separate statement, the prime minister’s office said al-Zaidi had told officials to speed up the launch of airport operations. It said this should be done by hiring specialized international firms to jointly operate and manage the facility.
The statement did not name the firms under consideration or set a timeline for their selection.
Former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inaugurated the airport on July 16, 2025, after it was rebuilt and upgraded. Mosul’s airport was heavily damaged during the conflict that followed the Daesh group’s seizure of the city in 2014. Iraqi forces retook the city in 2017.
Regular commercial service has not begun, despite an earlier announcement that domestic flights would restart. Technical and administrative challenges have delayed operations.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
