United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Airfield of death turned into commercial airport
An airfield in Iraq that desposed dictator Saddam Hussein used to launch chemical weapons on the Kurdish people is being transformed into a £22 million commercial airport.
Back in 1988 Iraqi aircraft took off from the airfield near Sulaimaniya and dropped their deadly payload on the Halabja region of Iraqi Kurdistan, killing more than 4,000 people. It was part of the brutel repression of the minroty Kurds by Saddam.
Reuters news agency says a glass and steel terminal building is now being constructed, which the Kurds hope will be the focal point for a burgeoning tourist industry, as well as the economic mainspring for the region’s future development.
Site operations manager Tahir Qadir told the agency: “The airport will be used for tourism, trading and making relationships between Kurds and the world.”
The scheme is a joint project between local Kurdush authorities and the Turkish constructon company AGS, and will initially handle four flights a day to Istanbul or Amman from next January.
Phil Davies
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel