Basra International Airport

Basrah International Airport
IATA: BSR – ICAO: ORMM BSR Location of airport in Iraq
Summary
Airport type		Military/Public
Operator		Iraqi Government/United States Army
Serves		Basra
Elevation AMSL		0 ft / 0 m
Coordinates		30°32′56.0″N 047°39′44.9″E / 30.54889°N 47.662472°E / 30.54889; 47.662472
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
14/32	13,124	4,000	Concrete

Basrah International Airport (IATA: BSR, ICAO: ORMM) is the second largest international airport in Iraq, and is located in the southern city of Basra.

History

Construction

The airport was built in the 1980s and then developed in the 1980s by the Iraqi Government department State Organisation for Roads and Bridges (SORB) as a gateway to the only port in Iraq. This second phase of development was completed by a joint venture comprising Strabag Bau AG of Cologne, Billfinger & Berger of Manheim both in Germany and Universale of Austria in Spring 1988.^{[citation needed]} It is claimed that the airport was built only as a facility for VIPs and was only used rarely.

Renovation

Renovation of the airport was supposed to proceed with the construction of a new terminal under German contract but the project prematurely ceased with the outbreak of the 1991 Gulf War. Actual development proceeded in the airport only after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Some facilities were refurbished under a contract by United States Agency for International Development. The project is broad as it includes building air traffic control towers and other navigational facilities, as well as the construction of transportation and communications facilities.

The airport was eventually reopened in June 2004. The event was marked by the traditional sheep sacrifice^{[citation needed]} as an Iraqi Airways Boeing 727 jet landed from Baghdad. It was the beginning of a new domestic service in Iraq between Baghdad and Basrah. However, many of the passengers complained about the lack of basic facilities. Problems included air conditioning and toilets, as airport management is involved in repairs.^{[citation needed]}

Reconstruction of the airport is still under way to improve the facilities. Iraqi Airways has already operated routes from this airport, and was its second hub.^{[citation needed]}

The airport is also currently in the process of civilianisation as part of the rebuilding of the country as part of Operation Telic of the multinational force in Iraq. As such there continued to be a significant Royal Air Force presence at the airport until mid 2009 when No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing was withdrawn and probably disbanded.^[1]

Air traffic

GND	121.7 MHz, 303.275 MHz
TWR	118.7 MHz, 241.175 MHz
APP	119.4 MHz, 123.1 MHz, 233.225 MHz
ATIS	125.9 MHz, 241.175 MHz

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Atlasjet	Istanbul-Atatürk
Emirates	Dubai
Gulf Air	Bahrain
Iraqi Airways	Baghdad, Damascus, Dubai, Erbil, Istanbul-Ataturk, Sulaymaniyah
Med Airways	Beirut
Royal Jordanian Airlines	Amman
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Ataturk

Ground Operations

Following the American control and since 2002, SkyLink Arabia has been providing ground operations and fuel supply at the airport.^[2]

References

World War II portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

1. ^ Air Forces Monthly, viewed June 2009
2. ^ http://www.ska-arabia.com/

External links

• Airport information for ORMM at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.