Latest news with #RazzaqAl-Saadawi
Iraqi News
8 hours ago
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways completes 70% of safety standards to lift EU ban
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, announced on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways has completed 70 percent of the safety requirements needed by the European Union (EU). In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), Al-Saadawi explained that Iraq's national carrier had reached agreements with specialist foreign companies to help Iraqi Airways and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) meet the EU safety requirements. The European Union's ongoing embargo on Iraqi Airways' aircraft has been a significant obstacle for the airline for almost ten years. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) international aviation safety requirements were not met by the company, which is why it was banned. Following the invasion of Kuwait by the previous Iraqi regime and the application of international sanctions on Iraq, Iraqi Airways was banned by the European Union in 1991. Due to violations of air safety regulations, the ban was reinstated in 2015 after having been temporarily lifted in 2009. The issue continues despite Iraq's multiple attempts to have the ban lifted, raising concerns about the underlying reasons for its persistence. According to experts, the primary cause of Iraqi Airways' ongoing European ban is the airline's noncompliance with the safety regulations set out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). To enable Iraqi Airways to meet international standards, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, ordered the adoption of a new administrative organizational structure during a meeting with a delegation from IATA earlier in November. According to Maitham Al-Safi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Transport Ministry, the prohibition is due to the company's failure to comply with international safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Until Baghdad completes the safety standards required by the EU, the ban imposed on Iraqi Airways' access to European airspace since 2015 is a significant obstacle for the Iraqi aviation sector.
Iraqi News
25-06-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways resumes flights following Iran-Israel ceasefire
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport stated on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways will resume flights on Wednesday, a day after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement following a 12-day conflict in which Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged missile and drone raids. According to a statement from the Iraqi Transport Ministry, Iraqi Airways will resume regular flight operations to international and domestic destinations through Baghdad International Airport and Basra International Airport on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. This decision is made under the direct supervision of the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi. The statement noted that the decision was made after security risks to aviation safety had been eliminated and the airspace had progressively returned to normal conditions. The announcement followed over 90 flights operated by Iraq's national carrier from Basra International Airport to other countries, where over 24,900 Iraqis were safely returned after being stuck overseas due to the region's emergency situations. After Israel bombarded Iran on June 13, asserting that it aimed to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons, airlines continued to steer clear of large portions of the Middle East. This avoidance was due to ongoing missile confrontations between Israel and Iran, representing the latest disruption in the region.
Iraqi News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq launches first part of Development Road project
Baghdad ( – The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) revealed on Monday that the first part of the Development Road project, which connects the Al-Faw Grand Port and Umm Qasr, has been completed. The 62-kilometer road has three lanes for heavy trucks and is protected with a high-quality safety wall to ensure vehicle safety, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Ministry of Transport. The finished part is 51 kilometers long, extending from the Al-Faw Grand Port to the underwater tunnel, with an additional 11 kilometers to the main road toward the southern town of Safwan near the Kuwaiti border. The project contains two main bridges that are 805 meters and 300 meters long and is equipped with solar-powered lights to ensure sustainable energy and current technology utilization. The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, revealed in March that the first phase of the Al-Faw Grand Port will be completed by the end of 2025. Expected to be the biggest seaport in the Middle East, Iraq's Al-Faw Grand Port stands out due to its open-sea setting, which spans 54 square kilometers, according to Al-Saadawi. The first phase of the project consists of five piers, which have been completely finished; a 62-kilometer road that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr port city; a 2,400-meter-long submerged tunnel; a ship canal; and a container yard, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). The underwater tunnel being built under the Khor Al-Zubair Channel forms part of the new highway being built to link the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr Port and the existing transport network, including Iraq's Development Road. The Al-Faw Grand Port is located on the Khor Abdallah Channel, near the mouth of Shatt Al-Arab. According to Maritime Gateway News, the five container shipping berths, which have been constructed by Daewoo E&C, a company located in South Korea, can each hold ships up to 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). With 100 berths and the capacity to handle 7.5 million TEU annually, the Al-Faw Grand Port is expected to surpass Dubai's 67-berth Jebel Ali as the largest container port in the Middle East when finished in 2038. Four million TEU of containers may be handled annually by the port's first phase, which is anticipated to be finished in 2028. By connecting the port city of Basra to Turkey via an overland route, the $7 billion logistics project will compete with Egypt's Suez Canal and establish Basra as a gateway to Europe. The strategic project of the Development Road aims to connect Asia and Europe through gas and oil pipelines, rail networks, and road networks.
Iraqi News
10-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq: Unprecedented increase in aircraft transiting Iraqi airspace
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."
Iraqi News
18-03-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Al-Faw Grad Port's first phase to be completed by end of 2025
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, revealed that the first phase of the Al-Faw Grand Port will be completed by the end of 2025. Expected to be the biggest seaport in the Middle East, Iraq's Al-Faw Grand Port stands out due to its open-sea setting, which spans 54 square kilometers, according to Al-Saadawi. The first phase of the project consists of five piers, which have been completely finished; a 62-kilometer road that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr port city; a 2,400-meter-long submerged tunnel; a ship canal; and a container yard, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. As part of a field tour conducted last November to review the progress made in major projects of the southern Iraqi port, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, inaugurated the port's first five container berths. Al-Sudani reviewed the port's major projects, including the container yard and the underwater tunnel, which is one of the important parts of Iraq's Development Road. The underwater tunnel being built under the Khor Al-Zubair Channel forms part of the new highway being built to link the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr Port and the existing transport network, including Iraq's Development Road. The Al-Faw Grand Port is located on the Khor Abdallah Channel, near the mouth of Shatt Al-Arab. According to Maritime Gateway News, the five container shipping berths, which have been constructed by Daewoo E&C, a company located in South Korea, can each hold ships up to 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). With 100 berths and the capacity to handle 7.5 million TEU annually, the Al-Faw Grand Port is expected to surpass Dubai's 67-berth Jebel Ali as the largest container port in the Middle East when finished in 2038. Four million TEU of containers may be handled annually by the port's first phase, which is anticipated to be finished in 2028. By connecting the port city of Basra to Turkey via an overland route, the $7 billion logistics project will compete with Egypt's Suez Canal and establish Basra as a gateway to Europe. The lofty project, which aims to connect Asia and Europe through gas and oil pipelines, rail networks, and road networks, includes the 2.4-kilometer underwater tunnel as a key component.
