The Resurgence Of Afghan Aviation: Navigating A Turbulent Past And An Uncertain Future

Afghanistan has a total of five airports, four of which are international airports. The largest airport in Afghanistan is Kabul International Airport (IATA code: KBL), located in the suburbs southeast of Kabul. It was renamed the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the former Afghan head of state. The airport serves as the primary gateway to the country and has regular flights to and from Dubai, where most international connections are made. The other international airports are Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport, Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, and Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport. There are also about 16 regional domestic airports spread across the country.

Kabul International Airport

Afghanistan has four international airports, with plans to build more in the future. Kabul International Airport (IATA: KBL, ICAO: OAKB) is the largest airport in the country and is located in the northern part of Kabul. It is one of the country's main international airports and is capable of housing over a hundred military and civilian aircraft. The airport serves as a hub for Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air, with flights to 19 destinations in 10 countries.

The airport has two runways, each 3500m long, one made of concrete and the other of asphalt. It has three terminals, with Terminal 1 hosting international flights, Terminal 2 dedicated to domestic flights, and Terminal 3 serving charter and low-cost flights. The airport is currently undergoing construction to build a new terminal, which will increase its capacity by 12 million passengers per year.

Ariana Afghan Airlines

Afghanistan has four international airports and about 16 regional domestic airports. The largest airport in Afghanistan is Kabul International Airport (also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport), which serves as the primary gateway to the country.

The airline was established as Aryana Airlines with the assistance of Indamer Co. Ltd., which initially held a 49% interest, while the government of Afghanistan owned the remaining balance. In 1957, Pan American World Airways became a minor shareholder of the airline when it took over the 49% interest from Indamer. Domestic scheduled services commenced the same year. By April 1960, a fleet of three DC-3s was being used for flights to Amritsar, Delhi, Jeddah, and Karachi, as well as some destinations within Afghanistan.

In the early 1960s, US aid to Afghanistan in the amount of US$1,100,000 (equivalent to $11,000,000 in 2023) was used to capitalise the company. By March 1970, the airline had 650 employees, and its fleet included one Boeing 727-100C, one CV-440, one DC-3, and two Douglas DC-6s. These aircraft served routes to the Middle East, India, Pakistan, the USSR, Istanbul, Frankfurt, and London.

In recent years, Ariana Afghan Airlines has reduced its international destinations and now primarily focuses on domestic flights, as well as flights to countries such as India, Russia, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Kuwait, and the UAE. The airline offers an Economy Class cabin for passengers seeking affordable travel and a Business Class cabin for those desiring a more luxurious experience.

The airline's frequent flyer program, the Ariana Loyalty Club, offers members benefits such as earning and redeeming air miles, exclusive flight offers, priority check-in, lounge access, and priority baggage.

Domestic airports

Afghanistan has 16 regional domestic airports spread across various provinces, serving smaller and more remote areas. Some of these airports have gravelled airside facilities and operate under visual flight rules.

Bamyan Airport (Shahid Mazari Airport)

Bamyan Airport, also known as Shahid Mazari Airport, has two asphalt runways measuring 2200 x ? m and 2000 x 30 m, respectively. It also has gravel runways, with one measuring 654 x 32 m and another that is 1844 x 34 m.

Qala i Naw Airport (Qala Nau Airport)

Qala i Naw Airport, also referred to as Qala Nau Airport, features a concrete runway measuring 1999 x 25 m and an asphalt runway measuring 2621 x 24 m. Additionally, it has two gravel runways, one at 2115 x 30 m and the other at 803 x 30 m.

Tarinkot Airport (Tarin Kowt)

Tarinkot Airport, also known as Tarin Kowt, offers a concrete runway spanning 2225 x 27 m and a gravel runway measuring 2500 x 60 m.

Camp Shorabak (Camp Bastion)

Camp Shorabak, also known as Camp Bastion, features a concrete and asphalt runway measuring 3500 x 46 m.

Forward Operating Base Salerno

Forward Operating Base Salerno has an asphalt runway measuring 1219 x 27 m and a concrete runway at 2439 x 36 m. It also includes a gravel runway that spans 1501 x 34 m.

International airports

Afghanistan has four international airports, although sources suggest there could be five depending on their definition of "international". The number of international airports is expected to increase in the future. The largest airport in Afghanistan is Kabul International Airport, also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport, which serves the capital city of Kabul and the surrounding areas. The airport is the primary international airport serving the country and is a hub for Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air. It has two runways of 3500m each, one made of concrete and the other of asphalt. The airport has three terminals, with a fourth ("Terminal West") having been scheduled for completion in 2019. The second-biggest airport is Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport, which serves northern Afghanistan. The third-biggest airport is Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport in Kandahar, which serves southern Afghanistan. The fourth-biggest airport is Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport in Herat, which serves western Afghanistan.

Airport facilities

Afghanistan has a total of five airports, with four of them being international airports. The main international airport is the Hamid Karzai International Airport (formerly Kabul International Airport) in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The airport serves as the primary gateway to the country and is the hub for the national airline Air Afghanistan and the second-largest Afghan airline, Tassili Airlines. The airport has three terminals, with Terminal 1 hosting international flights, Terminal 2 dedicated to domestic flights, and Terminal 3 catering to charter and low-cost flights. The airport has two runways, one concrete and one asphalt, each measuring 3500m in length. It covers a total area of 850 hectares and is located about nine miles from central Kabul, with easy transportation options to and from the city.

The other international airports include Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport, which serves northern Afghanistan; Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport in Kandahar, serving southern Afghanistan; and Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport in Herat, serving western Afghanistan.

In addition to the international airports, there are about 16 regional domestic airports spread across various provinces, serving smaller and more remote areas. Some of these regional airports have gravelled airside facilities and operate under visual flight rules.

The Afghan government is also seeking to further develop its aviation infrastructure by building a new international airport in the Mohammad Agha District of Logar Province.

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