Karbala International Airport Overview

Karbala International Airport, Teebat Karbala’s flagship project, stands as one of Iraq's largest and most ambitious infrastructure initiatives. Strategically located in the holy city of Karbala, the airport is designed to cater to the country’s growing air transportation needs while significantly boosting tourism and economic growth. As a vital gateway for millions of religious visitors visiting Karbala annually, the airport will enhance Iraq’s connectivity and international presence.

Key Features

Strategic Location:

In the holy city of Karbala, the airport will serve as a crucial access point for millions of visitors and passengers.

Phased Development:

The airport will expand gradually to achieve an annual capacity of 20 million passengers.

World-Class Facilities:

The airport boasts modern terminals, advanced runways, and cargo infrastructure, all designed to meet international safety and operational standards.

Religious Tourism Focus:

Specially tailored services will accommodate the large influx of visitors traveling to Karbala, one of the most visited religious sites in the world.

Project Timeline

• The initial steps of the project began in 2009 when the Iraqi Ministry of Transport commissioned one of the world’s leading airport design companies, the French firm ADPI, to design the project. The design was completed in the first third of 2014.
• Implementation work on-site began in 2017, with the foundation stone laid on January 23, 2017, marking the start of construction and the acquisition of the project’s investment license.

Project Components

Project Components Used for monitoring air and ground traffic within the airfield. The complex consists of an 18-story tower with a total height of 64 meters, along with attached buildings covering an area of approximately 2,600 square meters.

• Passenger Terminal Building:

Serves arriving and departing passengers and includes all traveler-related facilities. The total area of the terminal is approximately 31,000 square meters for the first phase (designed to accommodate 3 million passengers annually), with an additional 10,000 square meters dedicated to the visitors' lounge.
The design of the main terminal building is inspired by the entrance to the "Bab Al-Qibla" gate of the Holy Hussain Shrine.

• Airfield:

The section dedicated to aircraft takeoff, landing, movement, and parking. Includes a runway, a network of taxiways, and an aircraft parking apron, all constructed using the latest advanced equipment.

• Roads:

Includes roads within the airport boundaries, with a total planned length of approximately 20 km. Paving of the main road and curbstone work has been completed for 7 km with a width of 35 meters, while work on the remaining internal roads is ongoing to reach the total planned length.

• Infrastructure:

Covers essential utilities such as water, transformers, generators, optical cables, and more. Includes a service maintenance building, 12 km of lighting poles, a transformer building, and water and sewage networks.

• Navigation Systems:

A total of 12 navigation systems are required for the project, including meteorological systems, communication equipment, and the Instrument Landing System (ILS).

• Service Buildings: Comprise supporting facilities for the airport, including:

Fire station

Health center

Police station

Communications center

Security checkpoints

Airport administration building

Ground equipment building

K9 (police dogs) unit building

Main security checkpoint

Karbala International Airport is poised to become a major international hub, enhancing Iraq’s transportation infrastructure, supporting religious tourism, and stimulating significant economic growth for the region.