Transport

The rebuilding of Iraq's automotive and transport industry will create a clear demand for auto repair equipment, tools, auto parts and accessories, with unique business opportunities available for manufacturers of heavier vehicles such as trucks and buses, RV makers, motorcycle and snowmobile manufacturers, shipbuilders and boatbuilders, and makers of rail equipment.

Rebuilding the severely crippled public transport system in Iraq is key to the successful reconstruction of the country. It is a highly complex undertaking that requires logistic competence in all respects, encompassing the rebuilding of public transport services for cargo and passengers, inland waterways and ports, railways, civil aviation, postal services and multi-modal facilities.

There are approximately 108 airports and airfields throughout Iraq. Baghdad and Basra both have international airports, while Mosul, Kirkuk and Irbil have domestic airports.

Iraq's airports are heavily outdated, having suffered from a lack of maintenance and shortages of parts for a number of years. Global commercial airlines have not operated in the country since the early 1990s. Although the nationally-owned Iraqi Airlines operated domestically during the former regime, its fleet is no longer in use having been partially destroyed.

Baghdad International Airport (BIA) is open and has successfully processed more than 4,500 non-military passengers since July 2003. BIA's commercial capability continues to be expanded by a number of renovations, while Basra has completed its commercial preparations. The evaluation of Mosul Airport's reconstruction requirements has also been concluded.

The airports in Iraq have, as in many of the country's sectors, suffered from a shortage of power, water, sewage and telecommunications, with new plans for the installation of a number of communications systems necessary for safe and effective air traffic control measures, enabling safe air travel.