Balad Southeast Airport, also known as Joint Base Balad (JBB) or Al-Bakr Air Base, is a large military airfield located near the city of Balad in Saladin Governorate, approximately 80 kilometers north of Baghdad. During the Iraq War, it served as the busiest airfield in Iraq and one of the busiest in the world by flight operations, functioning as a critical logistics and combat hub for U.S. and coalition forces. Originally constructed as a major Iraqi Air Force installation, the base was captured by U.S. forces in 2003 and subsequently expanded into a massive joint operating base with extensive infrastructure including multiple runways, hospitals, and support facilities. At its peak, it housed tens of thousands of military personnel and contractors. Following the U.S. military withdrawal, the base was transferred to the Iraqi Air Force, which continues to operate it as Al-Bakr Air Base. It remains an active Iraqi military installation and is not open to commercial civilian air traffic.