For First Time in 10 Years.. Aircraft Lands in Mosul

After more than a decade of closure following ISIS’ occupation, Mosul International Airport successfully conducted its first test flight, marking a “historic” moment for northern Iraq’s Nineveh Province.

Governor Abdulqadir al-Dakhil, aboard the aircraft, highlighted the completion of extensive upgrades—including modern navigation systems, an extended runway, advanced lighting, and new cargo facilities—funded largely by 200 billion Iraqi dinars from provincial reserves.

Reconstruction began in August 2022, with half of the financing stemming from funds frozen during the war with ISIS.

Experimental operations will commence on June 10, with full service expected to handle up to 550,000 passengers annually.

This milestone follows Mosul’s fall to ISIS in June 2014 and liberation in July 2017 after a decisive Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga offensive.