Erbil International Airport EBL

Erbil International Airport (ORER) is the gateway to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and its most important airport. It lies on the outskirts of Erbil, a few kilometres north of the centre. The current US$550 million airport opened in July 2005 on a former military airfield, and in 2024 it handled around 2.1 million passengers, placing it among Iraq’s three busiest. Its 4,800-metre runway is one of the longest in the world.

Terminals

There is a single modern passenger terminal, with arrivals and departures in the same building, so there are no terminal transfers to worry about. A separate area handles private flights and official visits.

Airlines and destinations

It has direct links to Europe. Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Iraqi Airways, FlyErbil and Eurowings, among others, fly here, with services to Istanbul, Dubai, Frankfurt, London Gatwick, Beirut and other cities in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. Destinations and frequencies change with the seasons, so check your route with the airline.

Services

According to the official website, there are restaurants, cafés, duty-free shops, banks and currency exchange, prayer rooms, VIP lounges and assistance for passengers with reduced mobility. The airport also has an official app.

Tips

Read your government’s travel advice before going and find out in good time which visa you need. The airport has had occasional closures: international commercial flights were suspended from September 2017 to March 2018, so follow the news before you travel. Power banks must be carried in your hand luggage.