Baghdad Airport
Lasting Impressions....
Memorable comments left by travellers:
"you have to pass like 4 or 5 checkpoints, and dogs have to sniff the hell out of you and your luggages." (?)
"If and when a flight goes out, someone yells, in who knows what language, and everyone rushes towards the check point." (?)
FEATURED REVIEWS
by finishersproject, 7/5/2008
A visa? Don't leave home without it. The need for a visa in Baghdad was unclear before we entered as guests of USAID. Travel agents could not find the rules before leaving the US. No visa was the reason for our stay. A visa is needed at this airport, but not needed in up north in Erbil. Rules are different into different places mid-2008.
Security is high and the people are friendly. They were kind enough to place us in the Departure lounge while things were sorted out. There, the seats are cushioned, but made of leather. With the hot environment, any area of your body that touches the leather gets drenched in sweat.
If you go to purchase anything at a shop other than the Duty Free store, have a security person assist you with the price you should pay for phone cards and the like.
by Marina
"I was boarding an Iraqi Airways 747 on this cold winter day from Baghdad International (Saddam International at the time) to Damascus. I simply went to the airport 6 hours in advance as I thought my flight was departing in the morning rather than the scheduled late afternoon. There were lots of comfy leather couches in the airport and I slept near one and read my book in peace. Lots or security personnel but did not bother me at all and were very friendly. Nice coffee shops and Duty free shops in this spacious airport which made the 6 hours fly by smoothly."
by ?
Things have definitely changed since the last input here. I was stuck for the better part of three days due to a sand storm. Also took mortar fire on the last day before flying out. Baghdad International is such a cluster that anyone coming into there knows there is no chance of Iraq ever getting their act together.You come in where the ticket counters were at one time. you don't get past the first security point, ticket or not. So a line forms, and you crash on the floor. If and when a flight goes out, someone yells, in who knows what language, and everyone rushes towards the check point.It doesn't matter what they yell, as far as who is ticketed for what flight, everyone pushes towards the front. The only way I got out of this airport was that I am a fairly large guy, and had five friends with me. We forced our way past the other five hundred people that DID NOT have tickets for that flight.Once you get through the first point, you go to the counter, get your boarding pass. Then on to customs, remember to pay your 1 tax to get out of Iraq, then on to the gates.Once there, there is a wonderful waiting area, with large chairs/couches, and a duty free shop. Its too bad they don't let you stay there more than the ten minutes before you flight boards.Then, you get to look at all the cool hydraulic gates as you walk past them, down onto the flight line, and up the stairs to your particular aircraft. I don't know why they don't use the gates. They might be broke, but I just don't think anyone there is smart enough to run them."
Airport Guide
Here is some information that we've picked out of from your reviews. Be sure to read the review pages for the most up-to-date experiences:
- be prepared for long waits
- comfortable waiting area with large chairs and couches, but you only have access to this area 10 minutes before your flight
Discount Travel Links
- Hostels and Budget Accommodation - I've booked my own accommodation on this site. If you are too old for hostels and too cheap for hotels, like me, you'll find some good properties. They offer dorms, private rooms, B&Bs, Apartments.
