Erbil International Airport
Erbil International Airport فڕۆکهخانهی نێودهوڵهتیی ههولێر Firrokexaney Nêwdewlletîy Hewlêr | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Operator | Kurdistan Regional Government,Iraqi Government | ||||||||||
Serves | Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq | ||||||||||
Location | Erbil | ||||||||||
Hub for | |||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 1,363 ft / 415 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 36°14′15″N 043°57′47″E / 36.23750°N 43.96306°E | ||||||||||
Website | erbilairport.com | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2022) | |||||||||||
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Erbil International Airport (IATA: EBL, ICAO: ORER) (Arabic: مطار اربيل الدولي) (Kurdish: فڕۆکهخانهی نێودهوڵهتیی ههولێر / Firrokexaney Nêwdewlletîy Hewlêr), is the main airport of the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. It is administered by the Kurdistan regional Government[3] and is one of two international airports in the KRI (the other being Sulaymaniyah Airport), with a third in Duhok being under construction. The new modern airport opened in 2005. The airport has one of the longest runways in the world.
History
[edit]The airport was built at the beginning of the 1970s as an Iraqi military base. The airstrip was used as a military base until 1991 by the Ba'ath Party regime as a result of United Nations Security Council establishing a no-fly zone over northern Iraq. After the 2003 US invasion, the Kurdistan Regional Government took over administrative rule of the region. On 26 May 2005, the airport was given the ICAO airport code ORER. Endowed with natural resources including oil, natural gas and other minerals, investment in Iraq has increased substantially since 2005. The city of Erbil has been a large recipient of foreign investments. Due to the growing need for safe access into the country, the Regional Government invested US$500 million in the construction of a modern airport.[citation needed]
Old airport
[edit]The old Erbil airport covered 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft), and was divided into departure and arrival halls. It had three gates and a 2,800 m (9,200 ft) long runway with an ILS system.[4] The Kurdistan International Bank, a Tourism Information office, the airline companies offices, duty-free shops, a cafeteria, and the Korek Telecom office were located inside the terminal.
The warehouse offered cargo space amounting to 4,320 m2 (46,500 sq ft) and consisted of an import and an export section. The cargo was handled by Dnata, a Dubai-based company.[4]
New airport
[edit]A newly built, US$550 million airport was opened on 5 July 2005.[4][5] The new airport is next to the old airport (previously a military field) and has one of the world's longest runways, 4,800 m × 75 m (15,748 ft × 246 ft) and is equipped for ILS CAT II operations.[4] The airport's new terminal has duty-free shops and currency exchange offices.[6] The terminal also has VIP areas for business jets, and there is a VIP terminal for visiting dignitaries and diplomats[5] for the purpose of achieving international airport standards.[7]
In 2010 Erbil International Airport had the least expensive aviation fuel in Iraq (at 83 US cents per litre).[8]
From 29 September 2017 until 14 March 2018, following the failed 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum, all commercial international flights were suspended.[9] The airport remained open for domestic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic flights.[10] The Iraqi government has been operating the airport since.
Drone attacks
[edit]The airport has been the target of numerous drone strikes by Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in 2021.[11] On 15 April, a drone carrying explosives targeted the military section of the airport. The section housed US-led forces, and no casualties were reported.[12] On 6 July, another drone targeted the same section of the airport and crashed near the airport.[13] On 11 September, two drones carrying explosives failed to reach the airport; one was shot down by C-RAM air defense and the other one crashed. There were no casualties.[14]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Passenger
[edit]These are the airlines and destinations served from Erbil Airport:[15]
Cargo
[edit]Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Royal Jordanian Cargo[30] | Amman–Queen Alia |
Turkish Cargo[31] | Istanbul |
Statistics
[edit]As of 2022, Erbil International Airport is the third-busiest airport in Iraq, behind Baghdad International Airport and Al Najaf International Airport. It is the busiest airport in the Kurdistan Region.
Year | Passengers | % Change | Aircraft
movements |
% Change | Cargo (MT) | % Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 163,619 | ![]() |
4,894 | ![]() |
N/A | — |
2007 | 275,183 | ![]() |
9,815 | ![]() |
10,000 | ![]() |
2008 | 302,000 | ![]() |
7,745 | ![]() |
14,500 | ![]() |
2009 | 356,850 | ![]() |
7,557 | ![]() |
11,533 | ![]() |
2010 | 449,536 | ![]() |
7,235 | ![]() |
10,848 | ![]() |
2011 | 620,365 | ![]() |
7,366 | ![]() |
17,864 | ![]() |
2012 | 947,600 | ![]() |
9,021 | ![]() |
27,488 | ![]() |
2013 | 1,193,783 | ![]() |
12,229 | ![]() |
38,571 | ![]() |
2014 | 1,565,998 | ![]() |
16,218 | ![]() |
33,527 | ![]() |
2015 | 1,665,701 | ![]() |
18,864 | ![]() |
22,742 | ![]() |
2016 | 1,814,272 | ![]() |
19,080 | ![]() |
23,462 | ![]() |
2017 | 1,606,531 | ![]() |
15,294 | ![]() |
17,574 | ![]() |
2018 | 1,533,863 | ![]() |
15,562 | ![]() |
16,505 | ![]() |
2019 | 1,909,785 | ![]() |
19,560 | ![]() |
23,899 | ![]() |
2020 | 506,263 | ![]() |
6,054 | ![]() |
18,826 | ![]() |
2021 | 1,247,113 | ![]() |
13,970 | ![]() |
16,473 | ![]() |
2022 | 1,862,854 | ![]() |
17,896 | ![]() |
16,566 | ![]() |
Incidents
[edit]- On 6 July 2021, a series of attacks against the airport were reported, including drone and rocket attacks.[33]
- Erbil Airport has been targeted numerous times during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[34]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Iraq's AIP. Consolidated edition, February, 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2022" (PDF). Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT). Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "The Airport | EIA". eia.krd.
- ^ a b c d "Old & New". erbilairport.com.
- ^ a b "A winning design". erbilairport.com. 26 May 2005.
- ^ "Shops and Services". erbilairport.com.
- ^ Erbil International. "Airport". www.erbilairport.com.
- ^ EIA informs of one liter fuel in Erbil is $0.83
- ^ Erbil International Airport. "Baghdad 'No fly Zone' looms for Kurdistan airports". erbilairport.com.
- ^ "Iraqi govt enforces international flight ban in Kurdistan region - France 24". 29 September 2017.
- ^ "Iraq's Erbil airport targeted in drone attack: Kurdish officials". 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ "Iraq's Erbil airport targeted by explosives-laden drone". 15 April 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ "Explosive-laden drone hit Erbil airport in Iraq, aimed at U.S. base -security sources". Reuters. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ "Two explosive-laden drones target Erbil International Airport". 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ Erbil Airport Flight Schedule
- ^ Liu, Jim. "Turkish Airlines confirms AnadoluJet network transition from late-March 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ chamwings.com - Where we fly retrieved 9 September 2018
- ^ "Berlin Brandenburg nach Erbil". Eurowings.
- ^ "Hamburg nach Erbil". Eurowings.
- ^ "Stuttgart nach Erbil". Eurowings.
- ^ Flydubai Flight. "Timetables". flydubai.
- ^ Liu, Jim (30 May 2024). "FlyErbil Adds Baku Service From mid-June 2024". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ a b "FlyErbil Adds Berlin / Damascus Service in 2Q23".
- ^ "Fünf zusätzliche Airlines starten ab Hannover". aeroTELEGRAPH. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Iraqi Airways Resumes Dusseldorf Service from Nov 2023". AeroRoutes. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ MEA. "Timetable". www.mea.com.lb. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ DOH. "Booking". www.qatarairways.com.
- ^ "SunExpress Announces 2021 Summer Program". ftnnews.com. 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Wizz Air Abu Dhabi schedules Erbil debut in Oct 2023". Aeroroutes. 21 July 2023.
- ^ rj-cargo.com - Destinations retrieved 27 January 2021
- ^ "Turkish Airlines cargo 2015 winter schedule" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ "Statistics". www.eia.krd.
- ^ "Attack on Erbil airport in Iraq reported". 7 July 2021.
- ^ Bechocha, Julian. "Explosive-laden drones strike US base near Erbil airport". www.rudaw.net. Retrieved 8 November 2023.