One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
BGW4.2
NJF6.4+2.2
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
BGW4.8
NJF6.0+1.2
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
BGW3.8
NJF5.8+2.0
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
BGW3.6
NJF6.2+2.6
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
BGW4.6
NJF5.4+0.8
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
BGW5.2
NJF5.2
Best for
BGW
Travelers who already hold a federal Iraq e-visaIraqi Airways connections through BaghdadPriority Pass holders who want a 24-hour airside seat
NJF
Pilgrims already holding the federal Iraq e-visaShort hops to the Imam Ali Shrine by taxi or CareemTravelers who booked CIP / تشريفات protocol
Watch out for
BGW
Visit visa on arrival is closed for British citizens and other passports named by the Houston consulateA Kurdistan visa does not cover BaghdadAirport-road checkpoints; private pickup rules changeNo metro and no airport railIran flights were reported suspended in October 2026AHLEIN is confirmed for Priority Pass only, with soft drinks and a three-hour capThe 72% on-time figure is a seven-day Flightradar24 sample, not an annual rate
NJF
No visa on arrival — e-visa US$160 / 60 days, at least 24 hours before travelFCDO advises against all but essential travel to the remainder of Najaf provinceNo metro, no airport rail, no published city bus; Uber is not IraqLeftover T2 8.5M / 14 airbridges / Wikipedia 4+2 gates are not the live campus22 Sep 2026 Iran-carrier reroutes — verify the airline, not a leftover Wikipedia 'suspended' stamp
Amenities and tips
BGW
AHLEIN Premium LoungeTaxi and Airport RoadVaulted check-in hallHall seating
Get the federal e-visa before you fly
Visit visas on arrival are closed for British citizens and for a long list of other passports named by Iraq's Houston consulate. A Kurdistan visa does not cover Baghdad.
Nineveh, Babylon and Samarra are linked
Passenger flights use those three concourses. AHLEIN sits airside between Babylon and Nineveh, after passport control.
The airport is operating, with a short punctuality sample
Public boards on 26 October 2026 showed Iraqi Airways, Royal Jordanian, MEA, flydubai, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Pegasus. In the seven days to that date, Flightradar24 counted 72% of departures within 15 minutes.
BGW · Iraq's main civilian gateway, about 16 km west of Baghdad, with three linked concourses. More than 3.4 million passengers in 2023. No rail. Get the federal e-visa before you fly. A seven-day sample to 26 October 2026 had 72% of departures within 15 minutes; a mean delay is not published.
NJF · 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.
