Explore GYD Airport – all airport services

Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD, often dubbed Baku Airport) is the largest and busiest airport in Azerbaijan. It is located about 20 kilometers northeast of the capital Baku. The airport is the main international gateway into Azerbaijan and a key transit hub in the South Caucasus.

The airport first opened in 1980, then as a regional airport part of the Soviet Union. In 2014, 2 decades after Azerbaijan’s independence, GYD was extensively modernized. In 2024, the airport served over 7 million passengers.

Heydar Aliyev International Airport offers flights to major cities across Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, with connections to destinations such as London, Istanbul, Moscow, Dubai, and Frankfurt.

Major Airlines - Azerbaijan Airlines

Azerbaijan Airlines operates its main hub at the airport.

Other airlines with a significant presence include Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, and Aeroflot, providing full-service connections to many destinations worldwide.

On the low-budget front, airlines such as Pegasus and WizzAir offer cheaper flights to regional destinations in Europe and the Middle East.

Click here to see all airlines that use Heydar Aliyev Airport.

Check-in Process

Heydar Aliyev International Airport is not too large and rarely has extreme queues. As such, check-in procedures, security, and boarding are most often seamless and efficient.

As general advice, arrive two hours in advance for flights to destinations in Europe and within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and three hours in advance for intercontinental and transatlantic flights.

Check-in closes 60 minutes prior to departure.

Terminals

Heydar Aliyev Airport consists of two passenger terminals.

The main terminal is Terminal 1 - a modern architectural beauty with high ceilings, extensive glasswork, and peculiar shapes. It serves most international flights and all full-service airlines are based inside it.

Terminal 2 serves domestic flights and low-cost airlines.

The entrances of the two terminals are about a 10-minute walk from each other. They are not connected and function as separate buildings.

There is no free shuttle bus service between the two terminals. However, the AeroExpress bus that goes to the city center stops at both. See the transport section below for more information.

Dining Options

Heydar Aliyev Airport offers a modest amount of restaurants and cafes on its premises. Here are some options you have with their location in the airport:

Terminal 1, Airside: Check out the 150 Bar & Grill for its wonderful pastries, salads, sandwiches, and meals from Eastern cuisines. Another option is the Ay Qonshu restaurant with its traditional Azerbaijani offers.
Terminal 1, Landside: Why not a burger from McDonalds just before boarding your flight? The popular burger chain is on Level 2 before Immigration and Security.
Terminal 2, Landside: Try Sama, a non-pretentious place for Azerbaijani and International Cuisine. For something less authentic and perhaps closer to home, give the British Pub a try.

There are no dining options after Security in Terminal 2, so stock up on snacks or have a good meal before you clear Immigration.

Lounges

The airport offers several lounges, all within Terminal 1.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Business Lounge (AZAL Lounge) offers a dedicated entrance, quick check-in and baggage handling, premium dining, showers, strong wifi, and comfy seating in the sterile area for business-class passengers of Azerbaijan Airlines.

The Absheron Lounge and the Salam Lounge are both available to holders of various program cards and loyalty systems and offer a comfortable area to relax while waiting for your flight.

The Baku Club is a smaller modern lounge available to many premium cardholders but is also open to passengers of any category. There you can have light snacks in a comfortable atmosphere.

Wi-Fi

Heydar Aliyev International Airport offers free Wi-Fi access throughout both terminals. Simply connect to Simply connect to the “Baku-Airport-Free-WiFi” and start browsing.

Transportation

It’s easy to reach central Baku from the Airport either by a frequent public bus, by taxi, or by ride-hailing.

Aero Express Bus: This public bus goes between the airport and 28 May Metro Station (also Baku Railway Station), with buses running every 30 minutes during the day and hourly at night. Travel time is about 30 minutes, traffic permitting.
To use the bus, purchase a Baku Card from the kiosks in the arrival area of either terminal (2 AZN) and load some money into it. One card can be used by a group of travelers. One trip on the Aero Express bus costs 1.30 AZN, whereas one trip on the buses and the metro costs between 0.4 and 1 AZN.
Taxis are readily available outside both terminals, with a typical journey to the city center taking about 20 minutes. Baku Taxi is the only state taxi service operating in Azerbaijan and you can recognize it by the black, London-style branded taxi cabs. A trip to the city costs around 30-40 AZN.
Three ride-hailing companies operate in Baku: Uber, Bolt, and Yango. Book a trip through their respective app. Prices are preset depending on the distance and current demand.

Alternatively, you can rent a car at Baku Airport. The three biggest: Hertz, SIXT, and AVIS all have a presence on Floor 1 of Terminal 1.

Parking

For quick drop-offs of passengers, use Line 3 (the drop-off lane). You must leave the lane within 3 minutes. Parking in this lane is prohibited.

There are 2 parking lots for hourly and daily parking - one in front of each terminal. Their total capacity is over 2000 cars, so they rarely fill up. Parking is free for the first 15 minutes, then the charge slowly increases to a daily cap of 15 AZN.