Air Force assists in historic final transfer of Iraq’s airspace

Tech. Sgt. Bryce Hamilton and Senior Airman Matt Morrow, 407th Air Expeditionary Group air traffic controllers, and a U.S. contractor, aid in training Iraqi counterparts to take control of the air space in Iraq. With the Air Force’s assistance, Iraq now has full air traffic control responsibility for the country’s airspace for the first time since 2003. The Air Force transferred management of the Baghdad and Balad Airspace sector to the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) on Oct. 1, 2011. With this historic step, Iraq’s air traffic controllers now direct the movement of all aircraft within the busiest and most complex airspace in Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

Air Traffic Controllers prepare to pass torch to Iraqis

An Iraqi air traffic controller trains with U.S Airmen and contractors in the control tower at Ali Base, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2011. Iraqi air traffic controllers have been training for a year in preparation for the transition from U.S. to Iraqi control of air space. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

Air Force assists in historic final transfer of Iraq's airspace

Published Oct. 27, 2011
By Maj. Stacie N. Shafran
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs

BAGHDAD -- With the Air Force's assistance, Iraq now has full air traffic control responsibility for the country's airspace for the first time since 2003.

The Air Force transferred management of the Baghdad and Balad Airspace sector to the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) on Oct. 1.

With this historic step, Iraq's air traffic controllers now direct the movement of all aircraft within the busiest and most complex airspace in Iraq.

"This transfer was the culmination of a multi-year effort by the Air Force, U.S. Embassy-Baghdad, and the ICAA to help Iraq develop a self-sufficient, national air traffic control system," said Maj. Adam Fiedler, an airspace planner with the U.S. Forces-Iraq Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq.

This project is one of many U.S. and Iraq initiatives which support Iraq's economic development and sovereignty under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

From the Baghdad Area Control Center, the ICAA now controls the skies directly over Baghdad and provides approach and departure services for aircraft arriving and departing from Baghdad International Airport.

In August of 2007, the airspace transfer process started with the ICAA taking control of the airspace above 29,000 feet over Iraq, explained Fiedler. On Jan. 1, 2009, surveillance and control over Iraqi airspace officially transferred to Iraqi authority as part of the security agreement.

During the transition, the Iraqi government requested additional help from the U.S. due to gaps in capacity. In order to overcome this, the Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq and the U.S. Embassy Transportation Attaché office partnered with the ICAA to incrementally transfer airspace as their capability and capacity increased.
"Essentially this last airspace transfer culminates more than four year's worth of effort and has returned true airspace sovereignty to Iraq," said Fiedler. "It signifies that Iraq reached a point where it can stand on its own and no longer require U.S. support and assistance. They own, operate and control their own national airspace system."

Fiedler emphasized that this herculean effort would have been challenging enough in a permissive environment, but the added complexities of integrating during ongoing tactical air operations in support of security efforts, made this accomplishment all the more significant and impressive for the ICAA.