Iraq’s Najaf al-Ashraf Airport Authority has selected France’s Thales for a a multimillion-dollar contract to supply and install instrument landing system (ILS) and distance measuring equipment (DME) at the Najaf al-Ashraf International airport in the south of the country.

Najaf is an important religious destination in Iraq, hosting millions of pilgrims each year. Growth in passenger traffic in recent years has attracted airlines such as Bahrain’s Gulf Air and Turkish Airlines to operate regular flights to the airport.

The authority has several ongoing initiatives to modernise the airport by enhancing its navigation and surveillance capabilities to ensure higher safety and efficiency levels.

The existing airport has undergone multiple upgrades including a multimillion-dollar refurbishment of its fuel farm. United National Oil Services (UNOS), an affiliate of the UK’s Copperchase, has been overseeing a scheme that involves the construction of a pipeline running from the fuel farm to the airport apron. UNOS won a 10-year contract to provide into-plane supply for aviation fuel since October 2013.