ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s Ministry of Transport has removed the director of Basra International Airport, Hassan Abdul-Hadi, following a wave of internal complaints about poor management and a recent incident that saw chaotic scenes of overcrowding among stranded passengers.

The ministry named Hussein Ali Abdul-Hamid as acting director to fill the empty position.

A security source told The New Region on Thursday that the decision was not surprising and came after airport employees repeatedly expressed concerns relating to Abdul-Hadi's management style, with staff accusing the former director of ignoring their suggestions and creating a tense work environment.

“These complaints were serious,” the source said. “Employees said the airport’s operations were falling apart, and they blamed a lack of leadership and organization, especially during a critical time.”

The complaints gained more weight in recent days due to a situation involving stranded passengers at the airport. The source said the situation caused “unprecedented overcrowding and confusion,” leading the ministry to act quickly to remove the incumbent director.

Basra International Airport is now Iraq’s only active air gateway after rising regional tensions following Israel’s military offensive on Iran.

The airport is the fourth busiest in Iraq, according to statistics from Iraq's planning ministry, ranking behind Baghdad, Najaf, and Erbil. The airport is located just over 10 kilometers from the city center of Basra.

A similar incident occurred in 2023, whereby the director of Baghdad International Airport Hussein Qasim Khafi submitted his resignation after being verbally scolded by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani over the quality of services in the airport. A video of the incident spread on social media, showing Sudani ask Khafi, "What is this mess?" before dismissing him by saying "Enough!" when the director attempted to respond.