Digital render of how the main terminal at Nasiriyah airport in Iraq will look (Image: CSCEC)

Chinese contractor China State Construction (CSCEC) has started erecting the steel structure for the main terminal of the Nasiriyah International Airport in southwestern Iraq.

The company is rehabilitating the airport with a new 20,000 sq m terminal, VIP terminal, hotel and air traffic control building over 50,000 sq m. It is also building 25km of roads connecting the airport to its surroundings as part of the scheme, which will increase the airport鈥檚 capacity to 750,000 passengers a year.

CSCEC said that all major structures in the project have entered the upper structure construction phase. It also reported that it is making progress on four road sections and the laying of apron pavement.

The scheme, which is reportedly being financed under a oil-backed resources-for-infrastructure deal between Iraq and China, started in 2022 and is expected to complete in 2025.