The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Iraqi PM cancels Mosul airport contracts, citing Iran militia links: What to know
Kataib Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc is questioning the sources of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s wealth after he moved to curb militia influence in the country.
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, ordered a restructuring of Mosul International Airport contracts, canceling three service agreements tied to firms alleged to have links with armed groups. The cancellations affect Sky Plus for leasing seven airport counters, Sama al-Matar for leasing an open-air parking area, and Al-Faisal al-Shamikh for leasing a taxi office, according to multiple outlets reporting on the same government action. The orders indicate that these contracts would be awarded to international operators, though no details are provided about which armed groups are alleged to be linked or the exact nature of the connections, and officials were directed to accelerate plans to bring in specialized international firms to jointly operate and manage the facility, per the prime minister’s office.
The action was described as part of a broader effort by al-Zaidi to curb militia influence in Iraq amid tensions involving Kataib Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, which has been scrutinizing the PM’s handling of militia-related issues and wealth-source questions. Al-Monitor’s coverage frames the decision within wider political dynamics and governance questions in Iraq, noting ongoing friction involving the militia-centered bloc and the PM’s leadership. A further detail from the same reporting suggests the move intersects with discussions about the PM’s wealth sources amid opposition queries.
AeroTime’s reporting adds that the three affected service contracts covered seven passenger check-in counters, a section of airport parking, and a taxi office. It notes that the leases were signed by the Iraqi Airports Administration on behalf of the Transport Ministry, and that the initial terms for each contract were three years with an option to renew. The outlet also reports that Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader al-Dakhil criticized the awarding process as having been conducted without provincial consultation and mentioned he had pursued legal action against a former Transport Minister and the airport administration over the agreements.
According to A News and UA.NEWS, the names of the firms cited by state media for alleged links are Sky Plus Company, Sama Airport Company, and Al-Faisal Al-Shamikh Company. Both sources specify that the actions target three service providers operating at Mosul Airport, with the prime minister’s office signaling plans to replace these operators with international entities. UA.NEWS emphasizes that the move is presented as a purge of contracts rather than a direct disruption to airport operations, and notes that there was no provided timetable for transferring the three services or for selecting a new management partner.
Shafaq News-based contract details, cited by AeroTime, reveal that each lease agreement was signed by the Iraqi Airports Administration and covered three years initially, with an option to extend. Sky Plus’s lease reportedly covered seven check-in counters totaling 42 square meters, Sama Al-Matar’s lease covered an uncovered parking area of about 4,228 square meters, and Al-Faisal Al-Shamikh’s lease involved a four-square-meter taxi office in the arrivals hall. The report indicates that the government had not announced replacement operators or a schedule for transferring the services at the time of the coverage.
Mosul International Airport itself has a recent history that contextualizes this action: the airport was rebuilt after being heavily damaged during the 2014 conflict with Islamic State militants, with reconstruction efforts beginning in August 2022 and the facility officially inaugurated on July 16, 2025 by former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Commercial passenger operations reportedly resumed later in 2025, though reporting indicates ongoing challenges related to technical and administrative issues prior to the service-contract cancellations.
The overall narrative across the reporting materials positions the Mosul action as part of a broader pattern of attempted realignment of airport operations and governance, aimed at severing alleged links between contracted service providers and armed groups, and pursuing international operators to manage and operate Mosul International Airport. The reports collectively note that no replacement firms had been announced at the time, and that the government had not issued a timetable for transferring the three services to new operators.
In summary, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi cancelled three Mosul International Airport leases—Sky Plus, Sama al-Matar, and Al-Faisal Al-Shamikh—over alleged connections to armed groups, with plans to outsource those services to international operators and to accelerate a transition in airport management. The move is tied to broader political tensions involving militia influence and scrutiny of the PM’s wealth sources, as reported by Al-Monitor and echoed by A News and UA.NEWS, while AeroTime and Shafaq News provided contract-specific details and context about implementation and governance concerns surrounding the process.