Iraq's major airports call on Lufthansa Consulting for ground handling counsel

Iraq’s aviation system is now going through a phase of reconstruction as situation at the airports is also returning to normal. Regular air
services are slowly being resumed, and plans are underway to renovate and expand the airports following two wars and many years of disruption, which have caused considerable damage to the airports’ facilities.

The Ministry of Transport, the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), and the national carrier Iraqi Airways have a strong interest in establishing ground handling operations that meet international standards in preparation for the increase in traffic flows at the three airports.

The requirements include aircraft handling through to the processing of passengers and their baggage.
In the first phase of the project, Lufthansa Consulting is developing an action plan. An experienced team of experts conducted intensive
assessments of the local airport facilities at Baghdad, Basra and Mosul by inspecting the relevant processes and procedures, as well
as performing numerous interviews with all stakeholders related to ground operations. The consultants will offer recommendations for improvements in all the relevant fields of ground handling operations.
In Phase Two, the German consulting business will be responsible for managing the tender procedure and for tendering the ground handling licenses for the three airports to international ground handling companies. “The findings of the operations assessments will form part of the tender documentation, and will have a bearing on the expected service levels and investments,” the company said
The overall project aim is to ensure the airports’ operational readiness by as early as next year, so they can offer best in class services and
competitive pricing schemes to attract new clients in the future, Lufthansa said.