Iraq: Unprecedented increase in aircraft transiting Iraqi airspace

Iraqi News

10-05-2025

The Iraqi Ministry of Transport – General Company for Air Navigation Services announced on Saturday a record and unprecedented increase in the number of aircraft crossing Iraqi airspace.
"In a qualitative development that embodies Iraq's return to its natural position on the global air transport map, the General Company for Air Navigation Services recorded an unprecedented increase in the number of aircraft crossing Iraqi airspace, reflecting the country's transformation into a breathing lung for international air traffic," according to a statement from the Ministry - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.
The statement added, "This progress is the result of sound strategic plans developed by the Iraqi government, headed by Muhammed S. al-Sudani, and under the direct supervision of the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, who closely followed efforts to develop air navigation and enhance its operational efficiency."
The General Company for Air Navigation "has been able to develop its technical and technological capabilities in line with Iraq's geopolitical importance, as a meeting point between continents, a bridge linking East and West, and an indispensable corridor for global civil aviation traffic," highlighted the statement.
"The General Company for Air Navigation Services has achieved a qualitative leap in the number of overflight flights, as the daily average increased from 300 to 350, then to 450, then to 550 and 600, currently reaching more than 700 flights per day, a clear indication of the growing international confidence in Iraqi airspace."
The statement also noted that "expectations indicate that this growth will continue as a result of ongoing development steps."
"The mobilization of the company's human and technical crews enabled the management of this unprecedented volume of air traffic with high efficiency and extreme precision, as Iraqi air traffic controllers demonstrated professional skills that rival the best international systems, approving the national readiness to deal with the changing challenges in the international aviation space," said the Director General of Air Navigation, Abbas Al-Baydani.
He pointed out that "Many European airlines, most notably Air France, have chosen Iraqi airspace as a primary corridor for their flights, taking advantage of Iraq's central location and reliability. Its air traffic control services have proven highly efficient."
"The General Air Navigation Company continues to implement its plans to develop navigation services, in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO, and to work on modernizing takeoff and landing systems at most Iraqi airports, in addition to enhancing the use of civilian airspace. It is a scientific indicator of the growing operational attractiveness of Iraqi airspace to major international airlines," he added.
He stated that "in a calculated scientific move, the company expanded civilian airspace at the expense of military airspace, providing wider and safer routes for aircraft and accommodating the increased flow of overflights. Experts described this as a "qualitative shift in airspace management according to the highest standards of joint use."