Airport taxi / hotel car · About 20–40 min to central Sulaymaniyah (estimate)
Where they are
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.
EBL6.8+1.3
ISU5.5
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
EBL6.8+2.8
ISU4.0
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
EBL6.2+2.7
ISU3.5
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
EBL6.0+1.5
ISU4.5
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
EBL6.2+1.7
ISU4.5
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
EBL6.4+3.9
ISU2.5
Best for
EBL
Kurdistan-only arrivals who can use List A visa on arrivalBusiness-class passengers who can sit Newroz upstairsShort hops to the Citadel (~7 km) by official taxi or Careem
ISU
One-way or return trips that stay inside the Kurdistan RegionQatar Airways connections via Doha and flydubai via DubaiTurkish/Pegasus/AJet links to IstanbulTravellers who already know Erbil (EBL) and need the Sulaymaniyah alternative
Watch out for
EBL
Three published screens plus a vehicle checkpoint — the 2.5-hour ask is realKRG e-visa / VoA does not cover federal IraqNo metro, no airport rail, no city bus; leftover T2 / four runways / Priority PassOfficial city-centre taxi is US$25 cash; Uber is not Iraq
ISU
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Kurdistan Region; the airport can close at short noticeKurdistan visa is not valid for federal Iraq — get the Iraq e-visa if you leave the KRINo Priority Pass lounge; VIP terminal is not a casual card productFood, Wi-Fi details and parking tariffs are largely unpublished
EBL · Erbil is a clean, uncrowded one-hall 24/7 gateway with a real visa-on-arrival for List A — paid for with three security stops, a parking-lot shuttle, a $25 cash taxi, and no Priority Pass.
ISU · Sulaymaniyah’s Jalal Talabani International (ISU/ORSJ) is Kurdistan’s second civil gateway after Erbil: roughly 305,500 passengers in 2024 with strong international share on Qatar Airways, flydubai, Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus/AJet and Iraqi Airways. Compact halls, a VIP terminal for private/government traffic, no Priority Pass, and UK advice against all but essential travel to the KRI — plan visas carefully and check the live board the same day.
