Iraq plans to double capacity at Baghdad International Airport to 15 million passengers per year, the Head of the country's Civil Aviation Authority said. The airport currently manages around 7 million passengers a year.

The government plans to add 3 new terminals at the airport, each capable of handling 2.5 million passengers per year, said Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) Director General Adnin Blebil.

 

The ICAA was also considering plans to increase capacity at the airport in the southern oil hub of Basra, and to build a new international airport in the north near Mosul, he added.

Iraq had announced plans for a new international airport that would be built between the 3 provinces of Kerbala, Najaf and Hilla, which are home to some of Shi'ite Islam's holiest cities. Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims visit these cities every year. - Reuters