Baghdad International Airport / New Al Muthana Air Base — Baghdad, Iraq

Baghdad International Airport, coded BGW and also linked to the nearby New Al Muthana Air Base, sits 114 feet above sea level west of the Iraqi capital, operating two runways for both civilian and military traffic. Before 2003, the facility operated under the name Saddam International Airport, and it was renamed Baghdad International Airport after the US-led invasion that year toppled the government. The Al Muthana name traces back to Baghdad's original airfield, which served the city's civilian air traffic for decades before the newer international terminal took over that role. For years after 2003, the airport sat at the center of a heavily fortified compound as coalition forces used the surrounding area as a major logistics and military base. Today BGW functions as Iraq's primary international gateway, handling the bulk of scheduled passenger and cargo traffic in and out of Baghdad even as security considerations continue to shape how the facility operates.