Second busiest hub in Iraq achieves 37% rise in passenger traffic and 67% increase in cargo volumes last year

Erbil, Iraq: Erbil International Airport (EIA) achieved a 37 per cent rise in traffic last year to about 622,000 passengers and cargo volumes were up 67 per cent, making it Iraq's busiest hub after Baghdad.

Further gains, albeit lower, are expected in both passenger and cargo throughout this year.

This reflects a period of consolidation for the airport amid the decline in air travel around the world stemming from the economic turmoil.

Last year's passenger numbers easily exceed the airport's own four-year projections, which had predicted 430,000 passengers.

According to industry sources, the airport is currently in talks with regional and global airlines to operate new routes. Emirates and Qatar Airways are said to be among them.

Last March, amid the demonstrations in Bahrain, Gulf Air temporarily suspended its daily flights to Erbil, among all other destinations in Iraq and Iran, saying "the decision has been taken following the on-going security situation in the region".

Gulf Air's website suggests the Iraq flights might be restarted in the near future.

The airport handles an average of 11 flights a day and around 38 cargo flights a month.

Routes launched last year include Turkish Airlines' daily flights to Istanbul, and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus's run to Ankara, EgyptAir's flights to Cairo, and Cyprus Airways to Larnaca. Etihad Airways increased its frequency from two to four flights a week.

Popular routes

The most popular destinations from the airport remain Istanbul and Baghdad, with Turkish Airlines and Atlas Jet leading the way on routes to Turkey's largest city, while Iraqi Airways — the national carrier — continues to operate the most flights into Arbil with an average of around 95 a month.

Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, flydubai, Royal Jordanian and Middle East Airlines are among the others with scheduled passenger flights to Arbil.

Emirates SkyCargo, Etihad Crystal Cargo and DHL Aviation are among those servicing the cargo demand.

Established in 2004, the airport was expanded in 2010 when a new terminal opened. It also claims to offer one of the least expensive aviation fuel prices in the world, at less than 50 cents a litre.