Erbil International Airport — Arbil, Iraq

Erbil International Airport, coded EBL, serves the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, a city built around the ancient Erbil Citadel, a fortified mound many archaeologists consider among the longest continuously inhabited settlements anywhere on earth. The airport expanded significantly during the 2000s as the Kurdistan Region attracted foreign oil companies, diplomatic missions, and businesses seeking stability within Iraq, resulting in a large modern terminal and a runway long enough for the biggest wide-body aircraft. Security arrangements around EBL have periodically tightened amid regional instability, including occasional attacks in past years tied to wider tensions across Iraq, though commercial flights have generally continued operating. International carriers link Erbil to hubs across the Middle East and Europe, while domestic connections tie the city to Baghdad and Basra.