Rudaw in English....The Happening: Latest News and Multimedia about Kurdistan, Iraq and the World: Airport Director: Erbil Had 500,000 Passengers In 2010 Airport Director: Erbil Had 500,000 Passengers In 2010 ================================================================================ RUDAW SPECIAL on 21/07/2011 01:53:00 In an elaborate ceremony in Dubai last month, Talar Faiq, general-director of Erbil International Airport, was awarded the Best Woman in Aviation in 2010 by the Emerging Markets Airport Awards 2011. Faiq is a veteran aviation professional, having worked with the Iraqi Airways and United Nations flight missions. Rudaw’s Hevidar Ahmed met with Faiq for this interview. Rudaw: Did you ever imagine there would one day be an airport like this in Kurdistan? Talar Fayaq: Until 2006 I couldn’t believe it. I traveled a few times from London to Kurdistan and sometimes it would take me 29 hours to get home. When they eventually said the old Erbil military airport would become an international airport, I was still skeptical. I used to come to the airport site to jog because it was an abandoned plot of land. Rudaw: Did you expect to become director of Erbil International Airport? Talar Fayaq: I hadn’t thought about it seriously, but I don’t hide the fact that I have always liked working in airports. That is also why, after I finished university in 1989, I took special courses in airport management before working for Iraqi Airways and other airports abroad with the UN. Working in airports is very different from other work. It is a 24-hour job. There are times when a plane has to do an emergency landing for weather or fuel reasons and the airport director should be there and make the decisions. Rudaw: How many of the airport staff are Kurds? Talar Fayaq: Most of them are Kurds and most of the department heads are Kurds. There are Korean consultants working with us, too. Rudaw: Are there any other airports like Erbil International in Iraq? Talar Fayaq: I don’t think so. Baghdad airport continues to be very strict and Sulaimani and Najaf airports are much smaller than Erbil’s. Erbil airport is far better and more state- of-the-art. Rudaw: How many passengers travel through your airport? Talar Fayaq: The number of passengers going through Erbil airport is the biggest in Iraq. Last year alone, we had 500,000 passengers. "If the region is safe, ticket prices will go down because more companies will come and there will be more competition" Rudaw: Do people try to get through with fake passports? Talar Fayaq: Yes, people have tried to fly out of here with fake passports but we have detained them. We detain these people on a monthly basis. I can say proudly that the Germans have recognized our passport department as professional and that we can teach courses on how to identify fake passports and visas. Rudaw: Given that air transport is new in Kurdistan, how much do the Kurdish people know about traveling through an airport? Talar Fayaq: People have learned when to arrive at the airport, their departure time and baggage collection. But we still face some issues, particularly with the Hajjis [Muslim pilgrims]. They are old and need a lot of guidance and help. Rudaw: Where do most people travel to from here? Talar Fayaq: They mainly travel to countries that don’t require visas like Lebanon and Turkey. A lot of people also travel to Europe because many Kurds live in Europe. Rudaw: How many airlines have flights to Erbil? Talar Fayaq: There are 15 airlines now; the newest one is Cyprus Airways. Atlas [Jet] and Iraqi Airways have daily flights to Erbil and Turkish Airways is planning to make its flights daily. Egypt Air is also planning to start flights. Rudaw: Many people criticize the high price of tickets. Has this affected the number of travelers? Talar Fayaq: That issue is not related to the airport. Ticket prices are related to the companies and the reason for the high prices is that there is no competition between the companies. If the region is safe, ticket prices will go down because more companies will come and there will be more competition. Also there were companies who were happy to come to Kurdistan but Baghdad caused troubles for them by telling them they had to fly to Baghdad first before flying to Kurdistan. Those companies don’t want that because of the bad security situation there. And according to Iraqi laws, if you don’t have Iraq’s permission you cannot fly into Iraqi airspace. Rudaw: The Kurdistan Regional Government has allocated a budget for your airport. Do you think your airport will turn in profits one day? Talar Fayaq: If we plan well and prepare better in terms of security and open trading bases and cargo departments, many people from around the world will come to Kurdistan. Geographically and economically, Kurdistan can become a trading hub like Dubai and right now we have strategic plans to increase Erbil’s flight traffic. If foreigners see the current situation in Kurdistan and see the progresses it has made, they will think about setting up here. Rudaw: Does anyone in Kurdistan own private jets? Talar Fayaq: I can’t think of anyone, but I know some people lease planes. At Erbil airport there are two companies and anyone -- politicians, government officials or businessman -- can go to them and lease planes. There are rich people who lease planes for themselves and their families and surly it’s very expensive. There have been people who have leased a private plane to travel abroad and get treatment. Rudaw: Who can travel as a VIP? Talar Fayaq: In the past the concept of VIP was misunderstood. There were government officials who would travel as VIPs along with their families and bodyguards. There were ministers and deputy ministers whom we didn’t let travel as VIPs and they caused us a lot of trouble. But now this has ended and even Kurdistan President’s families and his sons do not travel as VIPs.