MP: 4 Iraqi parties control Najaf airport, embezzle profits



Parliamentary bloc Mustaqiloun has accused political parties of controlling Najaf international airport.

Mustaqiloun bloc leader Sadiq al-Laban said that some politicians are running the airport and embezzling its profits and resources.

Laban urged Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to intervene and oust these political parties from managing the airport.

These parties employed their members in leading positions in the airport to facilitate and assert their dominance on it, the MP further added.

He called for handing the airport to Najaf local government.

This comes in the wake of Secretary General of Iran Airways association on Saturday announced that Tehran had suspended all flights to Najaf Airport starting from July.

In an interview with the Iranian Fars news agency, Maqsoud Assadi Samani said that Najaf Airport recently imposed customs forcing Iranian companies to pay $ 85 per trip to the airport retroactively since 2010.

He added that Najaf airport on the other hand receives $ 15 from Iranian airlines for every seat, as well as $ 10 from each passenger before getting abroad.

He said Iranian airports charge $ 3,000 to $ 3,500 per handling flight coming from Iraq, while Najaf airport charges $ 14,000 to $ 18,000 to provide these services reiterating that this raises costs for Iranian companies.

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