Mosul International Airport

{{Infobox airport | nativename = | nativename-a = | nativename-r = | caption = | location = Mosul | elevation-m = 216 | metric-elev = | coordinates = {{Coord|36|18|21|N|43|08|51|E|type:airport}} | pushpin_label = OSM | pushpin_label_position = right | r1-length-f = 8695 | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] | metric-rwy = | name = Mosul International Airport | image = Mosul-Airport-2025.jpg | image-width = 250 | IATA = OSM | ICAO = ORBM | pushpin_map = Iraq Mosul | pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Mosul | type = Public / Military | owner = [[Government of Iraq]] | operator = | city-served = | elevation-f = 719 | website = | r1-number = 15/33 | r1-length-m = 2650 | stat-year = | stat1-header = | stat1-data = | stat2-header = | stat2-data = | footnotes = }}

'''Mosul International Airport''' {{Airport codes|OSM|ORBM}} is an [[airport]] located at [[Mosul]], capital of [[Nineveh Governorate]], [[Iraq]]. It became a civil airport in 1990 with the rebuild of the runway (from asphalt to concrete) and construction of a new terminal. After undergoing major renovations to be able to reach international standards and category 1 status, it reopened as a civilian airport on 2 December 2007. On 9 June 2014, it was [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|captured by militants]] from [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]].<ref name=wapo>{{cite news|last1=Sly|first1=Liz|last2=Ramadan|first2=Ahmed|title=Insurgents seize Iraqi city of Mosul as troops flee|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/insurgents-seize-iraqi-city-of-mosul-as-troops-flee/2014/06/10/21061e87-8fcd-4ed3-bc94-0e309af0a674_story.html?hpid=z1|access-date=10 June 2014|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=10 June 2014}}</ref>

In February 2017, the [[Federal government of Iraq|Iraqi government]] recaptured the airport from the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]] militants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/middleeast/western-mosul-offensive/index.html|title=Iraqi forces retake Mosul airport|first1=Hamdi|last1=Alkashali|first2=Ingrid|last2=Formanek|first3=Euan|last3=McKirdy|first4=Angela|last4=Dewan|website=CNN|access-date=2017-02-23}}</ref> It took Iraqi forces just 4 hours to battle the retreating [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]] opponent and clear them off the airport. The retaking of the airport was part of an offensive, that started on 19 February 2017 to retake Western Mosul from [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]].

On December 27, 2020, the Iraqi Government allowed the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority to negotiate and agree to a memorandum of understanding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Mosul International Airport with [https://www.adp-i.com/en Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223142740/https://www.adp-i.com/en |date=2021-02-23 }} (ADPI) and [[SEA Milan Airports]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-28|title=French Firm approved to Rehabilitate Mosul Airport {{!}} Iraq Business News|url=https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2020/12/28/french-firm-approved-to-rehabilitate-mosul-airport/|access-date=2021-02-23|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==History== The airfield was used by the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) at the end of the [[Mesopotamian Campaign]] of [[World War I]] and from 1920 RAF aircraft squadrons (and from 1922 also Royal Air Force armoured car companies) were based there while [[Iraq]] was under the [[League of Nations]] [[Mandatory Iraq|British Mandate]].<ref name="Jefford, RAF Squadrons">Jefford, ''RAF Squadrons''</ref><ref>Warwick, ''In Every Place''</ref> RAF Mosul was handed over to the [[Iraqi Air Force|Royal Iraqi Air Force]] in 1936 under the terms of the 1931 Mandate but was used again by the RAF during [[World War II]].<ref name="Jefford, RAF Squadrons"/> It subsequently became a major [[Iraqi Air Force]] base, with at least a squadron of [[MiG-21]]s stationed there.

The military airfield was one of several [[Iraqi Air Force]] airfields in the mid-1970s which were rebuilt under project "Super-Base" in response to the experiences from [[Arab–Israeli conflict|Arab-Israeli wars]] in [[Six-Day War|1967]] and [[Yom Kippur War|1973]].

It was seized by [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Coalition forces]] in 2003 after the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|U.S.-led invasion]]. It became a [[United States Army]] facility that same year. The [[101st Airborne Division]] was the first Army Unit to occupy the base in 2003. The Base was divided into two [[Forward operating base|FOB]]'s. FOB Marez to the West and FOB Diamondback to the East which incorporated the Airfield.

On 21 December 2004, fourteen US soldiers, four American employees of [[Halliburton]], and four Iraqi soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on a dining hall at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Marez, west of the main [[United States Armed Forces|US military]] airfield at Mosul. [[The Pentagon]] reported that 72 other personnel were injured in the attack carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest and the uniform of the Iraqi security services. The Islamic terrorist group [[Army of Ansar al-Sunna]] (partly evolved from [[Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan|Ansar al-Islam]]) declared responsibility for the attack in an Internet statement.

During 2006–2007, the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] spent over 15 million US dollars restoring the airfield lighting, generators, and built a new air traffic control tower on the East side of the Field. At this time, the Airfield was under the control of the 82nd Airborne (1/17th CAV) which fell under the 25th Aviation Brigade which was based at [[Camp Speicher]]/COB-FOB Speicher (Al Sahra Airfield.) The FARP or refueling point was located at the Southeast end of the airfield.

During the [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007|2007 Iraq surge]], the base was downsized and consolidated into one FOB even though the footprint did not change. The name FOB Marez remained and the name of FOB Diamondback went away. Many of the extra CHU's and other types of portable structures were sent to [[Baghdad]] to accommodate the surge that was occurring in that area.

The former Iraqi Passenger Terminal was also restored and reopened for a flight in December 2007 for [[Hajj|the Hajj]]. The Passenger Terminal was at the far Southwest corner of the airfield. Iraqi Airlines flew 152 passengers to Baghdad which was the first commercial flight since U.S. Forces declared the no fly zone in 1993.

In 2011, the airfield and the facility were turned over to the Iraqi Government.

On 9 June 2014, the airport was captured by militants from the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] as part of the [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|2014 Northern Iraq offensive]].<ref name=wapo/> Satellite images taken on 31 October 2016 shows that the airport runways have been damaged, with wide trenches carved into them and rubble placed along their lengths, according to [[Stratfor]]. Taxiways and aprons have also been sabotaged by ISIL militants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37936530|title=Mosul: Satellite images reveal IS airport destruction|date=10 November 2016}}</ref> The airport was retaken by the Iraqi government in an effort spearheaded by the [[Iraqi Police|Federal Police]] on 23 February 2017.<ref name="Callimachi Gordon 2017">{{cite web | last=Callimachi | first=Rukmini | last2=Gordon | first2=Michael R. | title=Most of Mosul Airport Is Taken by Iraqi Forces in Push Against ISIS | website=The New York Times | date=2017-02-22 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/world/middleeast/iraq-mosul-airport-isis-islamic-state.html | access-date=2018-02-07}}</ref><ref name="Al Jazeera 2017">{{cite web | title=Iraqi forces take control of Mosul Airport | website=Al Jazeera | date=2017-02-23 | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/iraqi-forces-control-mosul-airport-170223082538235.html | access-date=2018-02-07}}</ref>

In March 2018, de-mining operations started in the Mosul International Airport and were completed in November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=al-Taie|first=Khalid|title=Ground cleared ahead of Mosul airport reconstruction|url=https://diyaruna.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_di/features/2019/12/04/feature-01|access-date=2021-02-23|website=Diyaruna|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In August 2020, the responsibility for the reconstruction of the Mosul International Airport was changed from the [[Nineveh Governorate]] to the Reconstruction Fund for Areas Affected by Terror Operations (REFAATO).<ref>{{Cite web|title=PROJECTS: Iraq to fund reconstruction of Mosul airport|url=https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/projects/story/PROJECTS_Iraq_to_fund_reconstruction_of_Mosul_airport-ZAWYA20200809093430|access-date=2021-02-23|website=www.zawya.com|language=en}}</ref>

In December 2020, the Iraqi government came to a preliminary deal with SEA Milan Airports and Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie to reconstruct and renovate the Mosul International Airport. For the project SEA and Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie partnered with a local company and offered financing through a [[Government of France|French government]] and [[Government of Italy|Italian Government]] loan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tastekin|first=Fehim|date=2021-01-13|title=France scores big Iraqi construction project at Turkey's expense|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2021/01/turkey-iraq-france-ankara-lost-construction-project-in-mosul.html|access-date=2021-02-23|website=Al-Monitor|language=en}}</ref>

The airport was formally reinaugurated by Prime Minister [[Mohammed Shia al-Sudani]] on 16 July 2025, with resumption of regular flights scheduled in September.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iraq reopens Mosul airport 11 years after ISIL conflict, destruction |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/16/iraq-reopens-mosul-airport-11-years-after-isil-conflict-destruction |date=2025-07-16 |access-date=2025-07-16 |website=[[Al Jazeera]]}}</ref>

On 6 November 2025, the first commercial flight of [[Iraqi Airways]] landed at Mosul International Airport from Baghdad after it resumed its operations.<ref name="resume">{{cite web |title=Mosul airport resumes domestic flights after 11 years|url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/061120253 |date=2025-11-29 |access-date=2025-11-06}}</ref>

==Airlines and destinations== The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Mosul:

{{Airport-dest-list  | [[Iraqi Airways]] | [[Baghdad International Airport|Baghdad]]<ref name=resume/> }}

== References == *{{cite book| first=Nigel W. M.|last=Warwick| title=IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953| publisher=Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd| location=Rushden, Northamptonshire, England| year=2014 | pages=664 | isbn=978-0-9574725-2-5}} * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.   {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/mosul-airbase.htm Mosul International Airport at Global Security] *[http://www.portaliraq.com/news/$10.3+million+reconstruction+contract+to+allow+Mosul+airport+to+host+international+commercial+flights__677.html Mosul International Airport receives $10.3 million for upgrades]

[[Category:Airports in Iraq]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Mosul]] [[Category:2007 establishments in Iraq]]