Baghdad International Airport Explained

Baghdad International Airport, previously Saddam International Airport from 1982 to 2003, (ar|مطار بغداد الدولي|Maṭār Baġdād ad-Dawaliyy) is Iraq's largest international airport, located in a suburb about 16km (10miles) west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate. It is the home base for Iraq's national airline, Iraqi Airways.

History

Interwar

The Baghdad West Aerodrome was made available for civilian flights of Imperial Airways on April 1st, 1929.^[3]

Pre-1982

The airport was developed under a consortium led by French company Spie Batignolles under an agreement made in 1979. The Iran–Iraq War delayed full opening of the airport until 1982. It opened as Saddam International Airport, bearing the name of then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.^[4]

1991–2003

Most of Baghdad's civilian flights stopped in 1991,^[5] when the United Nations imposed restrictions on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. After the Persian Gulf War, a no-fly zone imposed on Iraq by the United States and the United Kingdom meant that Iraqi Airways was only able to continue domestic flights for limited periods. Occasional international charter flights carrying medicine, aid workers, and government officials were allowed into Baghdad.^[6] Royal Jordanian Airlines operated regular flights from Amman to Baghdad.

2003–2005 (U.S. occupation)

In 2003, United States-led Coalition forces invaded Iraq. In early April, they moved into Baghdad, took control of the airport, and changed its name to Baghdad International Airport.^[7] The ICAO code for the airport consequently changed from ORBS to ORBI. The IATA code also changed from SDA to BGW, which had previously referred to all Baghdad airports, and before that to Al Muthana Airport when Saddam Hussein was in power.

In July 2003, the airport resumed civilian flights for the first time since 1991.Civilian control of the airport was returned to the Iraqi Government from the Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004.

2005–2011

Sather Air Base – the American base on the west side of the airport – came under periodic rocket fire from Baghdad. On 6 December 2006, a 107mm rocket attack landed 30 yards (27.5 meters) from a parked C-5A aircraft, puncturing it with scores of shrapnel holes.

Terminal C was refreshed with three active gate areas for carriers operating from the airport.

2012-Present

Baghdad Airport Road, connecting the airport to the Green Zone, once a dangerous route full of IEDs, was refurbished in 2014 with palm trees, manicured lawns, and a fountain, with Turkish assistance.^[8]

On 1 May 2023, the Iraqi government under Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani approved plans to enhance services with the intention of launching an expansion project in the development of Baghdad Airport in the second half of 2023. In 2024, the airport reached the final stage of its expansion plan, according to the International Finance Corporation.

Military use

A separate enclave within the airport houses the New Al Muthana Air Base, where the Iraqi Air Force's 23rd Squadron is based, operating three Lockheed C-130E Hercules transport aircraft. The base is also home to a number of Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft.^[9]

Sather Air Base, or Camp Sather, was a United States Air Force base on the west side of the airport from 2003 to 2011. It was named in memory of Combat Controller Staff Sergeant Scott Sather, the first enlisted airman to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sather was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for his leadership of a 24th Special Tactics Squadron reconnaissance task force during the initial stages of the 2003 U.S. invasion.^[10]

Airport developments

On 18 May 2010, plans were unveiled for an expansion of Baghdad International Airport, doubling its capacity to 15 million passengers per year. The expansion, to be funded by foreign investors, was to include construction of three new terminals and refurbishment of the existing three, each of which would accommodate 2.5 million passengers annually.^[11]

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Statistics

scope=col rowspan="2"	Year	scope=col colspan="2"	Passengers	scope=col colspan="2"	Cargo	scope=col colspan="2"	Aircraft operations
scope=col	Total	%YoY	Tons	%YoY	Movements	%YoY
2015		N.D.		N.D.		N.D.
2016		5.9%		62.2%		15.5%
2017		96.3%		75.9%		85.1%
2018		11.5%		66.8%		20.4%
2019		3.5%		9.3%		1.3%
2020		75.4%		49.4%		69.7%
2021		123.0%		20.3%		109.5%
2022		40.7%		19.8%		37.5%

Source: COSIT. Air Transport Activity Statistics, years 2015,^[12] 2016,^[13] 2017,^[14] 2018,^[15] 2019,^[16] 2020,^[17] 2021^[18] and 2022.^[19]

Incidents and accidents

• During the Gulf War, two Iraqi Airways Tupolev Tu-124Vs parked on the ground were destroyed by U.S. bombs.
• In June 2000, two Saudi former military officers boarded a plane bound for London and diverted it to Baghdad. They wanted to claim asylum in Iraq, but Iraqi authorities later deported them to Saudi Arabia.^[20]
• On 22 November 2003, a European Air Transport Airbus A300B4 freighter, registered OO-DLL, operating on behalf of DHL Aviation, was hit by an SA-14 'Grail' missile shortly after takeoff. The airplane lost hydraulic pressure, causing a loss of control. After extending the landing gear to create more drag, the crew piloted the plane using differences in engine thrust and landed the plane with minimal further damage. All three crew survived. After the incident, civilian planes took to routinely performing corkscrew landings to minimise the risk of being hit by surface weapons.^[21]
• On 26 January 2015, a flydubai Boeing 737-800 flying from Dubai to Baghdad with 154 passengers on board was hit by small-arms fire on approach to Baghdad International Airport. The plane landed safely.^[22] One passenger was injured when at least three bullets struck the plane. After the incident, UAE carriers FlyDubai and Emirates suspended their flights from Dubai to Baghdad. Flights by Turkish Airlines and Royal Jordanian were also temporarily suspended.
• On 3 January 2020, a U.S. drone strike killed Qasem Soleimani, leader of Iran's Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, as their convoy left the airport on or near Baghdad Airport Road.^{[23] [24] [25]}

See also

• List of airports in Iraq
• List of the busiest airports in the Middle East

External links

• Baghdad Airport Arrivals and Departures (non-official website)
• Globalsecurity.org profile
• Christian Science Monitor article on reconstruction, October 2003
• Extensive photographs of Baghdad Airport – 12.07.2004

Notes and References

1. Web site: Iraq's AIP. Consolidated edition, February, 2021. June 15, 2024.
2. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2022. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
3. Book: Great Britain. Colonial Office . League of Nations. Council . Iraq, Report on Iraq Administration . H.M. Stationery Office . 1927 . mt . 2024-07-29 . 3-PA114.
4. Book: Technology Transfer to the Middle East: Summary. 1984. DIANE Publishing. 978-1-4289-2383-6. 273.
5. Web site: Baghdad International Airport . 2024-07-26 . Airport Technology . en-US.
6. Web site: Iraq Baghdad Private Jet Charter .
7. Web site: 2003-04-04 . Renamed airport gateway to Iraq's future . 2024-07-26 . Air Force . en-US.
8. News: Arango. Tim. Amid Mutual Suspicion, Turkish Premier Visits Iraq. 22 November 2014. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 20 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20180218210427/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/world/middleeast/turkey-iraq-isis-ahmet-davutoglu.html. 18 February 2018. live.
9. Book: AirForces Monthly. August 2014. Key Publishing Ltd. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. 22. AirForces Monthly.
10. Web site: SSgt Scott Sather . 2024-07-26 . www.airforcespecialtactics.af.mil.
11. Web site: Archived copy . 25 May 2010 . 28 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210728043631/http://logisticsweek.com/air/2010/05/baghdad-airport-unveils-plans-for-terminal-expansion/ . dead .
12. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2015. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
13. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2016. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
14. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2017. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
15. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2018. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
16. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2019. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
17. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2020. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
18. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2021. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
19. Web site: اﻟﻧﻘل اﻟﺟوي ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘطﺎع اﻟﺣﮐوﻣﻲ إﺣﺻﺎء ﻧﺷﺎط ﺔـ ﻟﺳﻧ 2022. 2024-06-15 . Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT).
20. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 777-268 HZ-AKH Baghdad.
21. News: The opinion pollsters who dodged mortar fire and militias. BBC News. 5 June 2013. 4 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150925175547/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22766888. 25 September 2015. live.
22. Boeing Hit by Gunfire in Baghdad. Airliner World. March 2015. 83.
23. Web site: Archived copy . 3 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200103034718/https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-01-02/irans-soleimani-and-iraqs-muhandis-killed-in-air-strike-militia-spokesman . 3 January 2020 . live .
24. Web site: US kills powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad airstrike . . 3 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200103051222/https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-quds-force-head-qassem-soleimani-killed-in-baghdad-strike-iraqi-tv/ . 3 January 2020 . live .
25. News: U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces . Crowley . Michael . 2 January 2020 . . 3 January 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200103022034/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html . 3 January 2020 . Hassan . Falih . Schmitt . Eric.