--- iata: NJF name: Al Najaf International Airport city: Najaf country: Iraq lastUpdated: '2026-09-22' officialWebsite: 'https://www.najaf-airport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.najaf-airport.com/' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Najaf_International_Airport' - 'https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iraq' - 'https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iraq/entry-requirements' - 'https://eservice.evisa.iq' - 'https://mofa.gov.iq/texas/en/2025/03/03/e-visa/' - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/iraq' - 'https://en.dragonpass.com.cn/airports/NJF' - 'https://www.careem.com/en-AE/iraq-rides/' - 'https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/najaf-airport-guide.htm' - 'https://blog.flysepehran.com/ar/airports/najaf-airport/' - 'https://964media.com/513653/' - >- https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/najaf-international-airport-secures-icao-operational-license-2026/ - 'https://al-iraqinews.com/archives/646046' - >- https://www.tasnimnews.ir/en/news/2026/09/22/3703470/iran-air-says-istanbul-baku-najaf-flights-remain-in-operation - 'https://www.iranintl.com/en/202609228176' - 'https://www.amtech-me.com/project/najaf-airport-terminal-2/' - 'https://manhal-habbobi.co.uk/najaf-international-airport' - 'https://t.me/njfairport2023' - 'https://www.instagram.com/alnajafairport/' quickFacts: - >- One live passenger hall (2008 conversion of a former air base, plus later hall extensions). The 92,000 m² / 8.5 million-pax Terminal 2 is a design project — not live. Do not sit leftover Wikipedia “four departure gates + two arrival gates” as a 2026 FIDS count. - >- COSIT 2022: 2,686,074 passengers and 23,327 movements — Iraq’s second-busiest airport by total traffic that year, and the busiest by international passengers. Peak year on the COSIT series is 2016 (3,435,783). Do not sit leftover ~2.8 million 2023 figures that are not COSIT. - >- One runway 10/28, 3,000 × 45 m asphalt. Leftover MHC “3.5 km CAT III upgrade” is a project brief, not a live AIP. ICAA granted a permanent operating licence on 24 June 2026. - >- Eastern edge of Najaf, about 8–10 km from the Imam Ali Shrine. No metro, no airport rail, no published city bus. Taxis 24 hours at arrivals (SIA, 18 Mar 2026). Uber is not Iraq; Careem lists Najaf; Baly also runs the city. - >- Airport is 24 hours (SIA). Federal Iraq: no visa on arrival — e-visa at eservice.evisa.iq, US$160 / 60 days, apply at least 24 hours before travel (FCDO, still current 22 Sep 2026). Passport 6 months + one blank page. - >- No Priority Pass at NJF (Collinson’s Iraq page is Baghdad only). DragonPass has no NJF airport page (404). Sit the landside CIP / صالة التشريفات protocol hall, not a casual lounge network. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Land with the e-visa already issued detail: >- Kurdistan List A visa-on-arrival is not valid here. A KRG stamp from Erbil does not cover Najaf. Desk-close minutes are unpublished — do not invent 45 minutes. Sepehran leftover 2023: show passport and ticket at the first police checkpoint, then bags, then X-ray. summary: >- Federal Iraq dropped visa-on-arrival. FCDO: apply on the Iraq e-visa portal at least 24 hours before travel (US$160, 60 days) and carry a ticket out. category: timing - label: Terminal title: One hall — ignore leftover T2 detail: >- Wikipedia leftover “four departure + two arrival gates” is the early expansion brief. Sepehran leftover 2023 “six transit gates” leftover-conflicts with that — neither is a 22 Sep 2026 FIDS count. Domestic arrivals are bused from the stand (Sepehran). summary: >- Live campus is a single passenger building. The AM TECH / MHC 8.5 million-pax Terminal 2 (≈92,000 m², 14 airbridges) is not open. category: terminal - label: Food title: Eat before you count on 24/7 kitchens detail: >- Do not invent chain names. CIP hospitality is for booked protocol, not a walk-up café. Buy a sealed bottle airside after screening empties a full one. summary: >- SIA lists restaurants, duty-free, a mosque and Wi-Fi. It does not confirm any 24-hour kitchen. Fountain locations are unpublished. category: food - label: Status title: FCDO + 22 Sep Iran-carrier reroutes detail: >- US Treasury pressure on Iranian airlines was the trigger. Iran’s CAO talked about diverting Baghdad-bound flights to Najaf. Wikipedia already marked many Iranian carriers “suspended” that day — treat that as unfolding, not a settled FIDS. Verify with the airline. summary: >- FCDO (still current 22 Sep 2026) advises against all but essential travel to the remainder of Najaf province. Baghdad closed to Iranian carriers from midnight 22/23 Sep; Iran Air said NJF continues that afternoon. category: status lounges: - name: CIP Protocol Lounge zone: Landside / separate VIP entrance hours: >- Unpublished. Operator closed the VIP hall for a few days of maintenance from 14 Feb 2025; main halls stayed open. access: - Booked VIP protocol (تشريفات) - Diplomatic / official mission - Walk-in price unpublished — do not invent an aggregator day-pass bestFor: - Booked protocol arrivals and departures - Anyone who will pay for a separate VIP door summary: >- صالة التشريفات — the airport’s named VIP/CIP protocol hall, not Priority Pass. The operator used that name in a 14 Feb 2025 maintenance notice. Pikasso maps a billboard at the VIP-lounge entrance outside the passenger hall. SIA still could not confirm a walk-up business lounge. Not Priority Pass, not DragonPass, not LoungeKey. verdict: depends terminal: Passenger terminal amenities: - Meet-and-greet / escort (Sepehran 2023) - 'Check-in, screening and immigration handling (Sepehran 2023)' - Hospitality inside the CIP halls (Sepehran 2023) - Wi-Fi (Sepehran 2023) waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Duty-free bottled water zone: airside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- Sealed bottle after screening. Fountains are unpublished (SIA). Treat this as the reliable sealed-bottle buy, not a bargain fountain. location: Duty-free after passport control (SIA lists duty-free; IQD unpublished) terminal: Passenger terminal isBestQuality: true - kind: purchase name: Café / restaurant bottle zone: airside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- Kitchens exist; 24-hour status is unpublished. Buy after the X-ray if a full bottle was emptied at screening. location: Landside and airside restaurants and cafés listed by SIA and Sepehran terminal: Passenger terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Landside bottle before the first screen zone: landside price: Unpublished at the till summary: >- Only useful if you will drink it before screening. Sepehran leftover 2023: bags are searched by hand after the police checkpoint — a full bottle will not ride through. location: Landside public hall / arrivals kerb shops before the police checkpoint terminal: Passenger terminal airportistScore: 5.9 slug: njf region: Middle East --- > Markdown for [/airports/njf](/airports/njf). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/njf) - [Lounge directory](/airports/njf/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Al Najaf International Airport (NJF) Najaf, Iraq · Middle East Najaf is a 24-hour one-hall pilgrim gateway eight to ten kilometres from the Imam Ali Shrine — paid for with no visa on arrival, no Priority Pass, unpublished kitchens, and an FCDO all-but-essential overlay on the rest of the province. ## Airportist Score **5.9 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.4 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.0 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 5.8 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 6.2 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 5.4 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 5.2 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 2,686,074 (2022, COSIT) - Terminals: 1 passenger hall (2008 conversion + later extensions). No live 8.5M T2. One 3,000 m runway. - Typical security: 25 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: moderate ## Best for - Pilgrims already holding the federal Iraq e-visa - Short hops to the Imam Ali Shrine by taxi or Careem - Travelers who booked CIP / تشريفات protocol ## Watch out for - No visa on arrival — e-visa US$160 / 60 days, at least 24 hours before travel - FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the remainder of Najaf province - No metro, no airport rail, no published city bus; Uber is not Iraq - Leftover T2 8.5M / 14 airbridges / Wikipedia 4+2 gates are not the live campus - 22 Sep 2026 Iran-carrier reroutes — verify the airline, not a leftover Wikipedia 'suspended' stamp ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/njf/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/njf/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/njf/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/njf/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/njf/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/njf/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/njf/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/njf/reviews.md) (free)