Night departures are common; be at check-in 2 hours before.

Many international flights leave or land between midnight and early morning: in mid-October 2026, Azerbaijan Airlines' Baku flight left at 02:55, SCAT's Tbilisi and Yerevan flights left around 00:30–00:40, and Pegasus from Istanbul landed at 03:10. The airport asks passengers to be at check-in 2 hours before departure, or earlier if the airline's rules say so.

Departure lounges on the 2nd floor, services in the 1st-floor main hall.

All flights use the 2009 terminal. According to the airport, the domestic check-in hall and both departure lounges, international and domestic, are on the 2nd floor, while the main hall with the left-luggage office, ATMs and the information desk is on the 1st floor.

Café-bars airside and landside; the only lounge is the paid CIP hall.

The airport lists café-bars in both the international and the domestic departure lounge, a Bon Voyage café in the main hall and a Stardogs outlet in the domestic check-in hall, plus a duty-free shop in international departures. Priority Pass lists no lounge here; the only lounge is the paid CIP hall.

QazETA checks start 1 Nov 2026; check Dubai flights before you travel.

Under Kazakhstan's new entry rules, Aktau airport is one of the first border points where officers ask visa-free visitors for the free QazETA electronic travel permit, starting on 1 November 2026. Apply on qazeta.kz at least 72 hours before you arrive. Until 1 July 2027, nobody is refused entry for not having one. FlyArystan's Aktau–Dubai flights were also suspended until 30 September 2026 because of the Middle East situation, so check the status of any Dubai booking.