PM Barzani praises Erbil airport staff for ICAO audit success

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday thanked the managers, officers, employees, and security of Erbil International Airport (EIA) for fulfilling their duties during the successful security audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Prime Minister Barzani also stated that this achievement results from the cooperation and coordination of EIA with other airport institutions, and he further urged continued progress in branching out to other airports.

Additionally, the media office of Iraqi Premier Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expressed his appreciation to EIA’s director, employees, and security.

ICAO is the United Nations' specialized agency responsible for developing and regulating international civil aviation. It is responsible for ensuring civil aviation safety and security worldwide. It has 193 Member States. 

Erbil International Airport was opened on April 29, 2005. It is the main international airport of the Kurdistan Region. It is the second-largest airport in Iraq after Baghdad International Airport, serving both domestic and international flights.

The airport was constructed as an Iraqi military base in the 1970s by the Baathist regime. In 1991, the United Nations established a no-fly zone over northern Iraq, and later, the Kurds took control of the airport following the US invasion of the country in 2003.