Well run, clean and efficiently designed
For many foreigners arriving in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Erbil International Airport (EIA) provides the first glimpse of an increasingly modern and prosperous Iraqi Kurdistan.
Erbil’s well-run, clean, and effectively designed airport opened as a civilian airport as recently as 2006 and was renovated in 2010.
Strong international links are essential for any successful city to drive its economy. Today, EIA connects Erbil with 32 destinations through 21 airlines and is continuing to expand its reach.
The early successes of EIA have come to be recognized internationally, and in 2013 the airport was named ‘Best Emerging Airport’ with fewer than five million passengers per annum, by an international jury at the Emerging Market Airport Show in Dubai.
EIA has capacity for 3 million passengers annually. It also has one of the longest runways in the world, which allows large cargo aircraft to land successfully.
The EIA provides free internet and is expanding its duty-free offerings to optimize the quality and comfort of passengers’ experiences.
Giving travelers a distinctly Kurdish welcome, the EIA has become a stronghold of efficiency that promotes a national brand and is keeping Kurdistan connected.
EIA at a glance — 2018
| Total number of passengers | 1,533,863 |
| Total cargo tonnage | 16,505 tons |
| Daily passenger | 4,202 |
| Average commercial flights per day | 52 |
| Airports connected to EIA | 32 |
| Total airlines flying to EIA | 21 |
