Arbil International Airport

Erbil International Airport Firokaxaney Nêwdewletî Hewlêr فڕۆکه‌خانه‌ی نێوده‌وڵه‌تی هه‌ولێر
Arbil International Airport
IATA: EBL – ICAO: ORER EBL Location of airport in Arbil
Summary
Airport type		Public گشتی
Operator		Kurdistan Regional Government حکومه‌تی هه‌ريمی کوردستان
Serves		Arbil (هه‌ولير)
Location		Ankawa (عه‌نکاوه)
Elevation AMSL		1,341 ft / 409 m
Coordinates		36°14′15″N 043°57′47″E / 36.2375°N 43.96306°E / 36.2375; 43.96306 (Erbil International Airport)Coordinates: 36°14′15″N 043°57′47″E / 36.2375°N 43.96306°E / 36.2375; 43.96306 (Erbil International Airport)
Website		www.erbilairport.net
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
15/33	2,803	9,197	Asphalt
18/36	4,800	15,748	Concrete

Arbil International Airport (IATA: EBL, ICAO: ORER), is the main airport of Arbil (also written Erbil or Irbil, Hewlêr in Kurdish) in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region in northern Iraq.

It is administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) under a special committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Barham Salih, and is one of two international airports in Kurdistan. The new modern airport opened its doors in 2010.

Currently, Irbil International Airport offers the least expensive aviation fuel in Iraq. It is more expensive in Baghdad even though a refinery (Dora) is much closer. As of 2010, the EIA selling price is 83 US cents per litre.^[1] In Baghdad, it is 94 US cents per litre. Iraqi aviation fuel is more expensive than in any surrounding country. Plans are being made for EIA to offer among the least expensive fuel in the Middle East and perhaps in the world at less than 50 US cents per litre.^{[citation needed]}

History

The airport was originally built at the beginning of the 1970s as an Iraqi military base. The airstrip was used as a military base until 1991 by the Baath regime. After the 2003 Iraq War, the Kurdistan Regional Government took over administrative rule of the region. On 26 May 2005, the airport was given the ICAO airport code, ORER. Endowed with natural resources including oil, natural gas and other minerals, investment in Kurdistan is growing rapidly. The city of Arbil has been the recipient of foreign investments. Due to the growing need for safe access into the country, the Kurdistan Regional Government, under the leadership of then Prime Minister have invested US$500 million in the construction of a new and modern airport.

Old airport

The old airport of Arbil International Airport covered 7,000 m² (75,000 sq ft), and was divided into departure and arrival halls. It had 3 gates and the runway, which was originally intended for military purposes, was 2,800 m (9,200 ft) long and was provided with an ILS system. Its services included the Kurdistan International Bank, a Tourism Information office, the airline companies offices, duty-free shops, a cafeteria, and the Korek Telecom office.

The warehouse offered cargo space amounting to 4,320 m² (46,500 sq ft) and consisted of an import and an export section. The cargo is handled by Dnata, an experienced, professional Dubai company. Dnata also does ground handling at airports in other countries, including the UK, Switzerland, and Australia.

New airport

Recently, the new terminal was opened.

Ground operations

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

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Berlin	Düsseldorf
Al-Naser Airlines	Malmö, Stockholm-Arlanda
Atlasjet	Istanbul-Atatürk
Austrian Airlines	Vienna
Cyprus Airways	Larnaca
EgyptAir	Cairo
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi
Flydubai	Dubai
Germania	Düsseldorf, Munich
Gulf Air	Bahrain
Lufthansa	Frankfurt
Mahan Air	Tehran-Imam Khomeini
Middle East Airlines	Beirut
Pegasus Airlines	Ankara
Royal Jordanian	Amman
Strategic Airlines	Seasonal: Amsterdam
Tor Air	Stockholm-Arlanda
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Atatürk
Viking Hellas	Amsterdam, Athens, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Manchester, Malmö, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Stockholm-Arlanda

Cargo airlines

Airlines	Destinations
DHL Aviation
Emirates SkyCargo	Dubai
Etihad Crystal Cargo	Abu Dhabi
Jordan International Air Cargo	Amman-Marka
RUS Aviation

References

1. ^ EIA informs of one liter fuel in Arbil is $0.83
2. ^ http://www.skylinkaviation.com/services/air-terminal-and-ground-handling/

External links

	Iraq portal
	Kurdistan portal
	Aviation portal

• Arbil International Airport
• Accident history for EBL at Aviation Safety Network
• Airport information for ORER at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
• Airport information for ORER at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
• Student Reader A catalog of airlines serving EIA with contact information and firsthand experience.