OAKN
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport / Kandahar Airfield
MVFR
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Name
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport / Kandahar Airfield
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ICAO / IATA / GPS
OAKN / KDH / OAKN
- Type
- Restriction
- Region
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Timezone
9:13 am (AFT)
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Municipality
Khvoshab
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Coordinates
31° 30′ 20″ N 65° 50′ 52″ E
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Elevation
3’338 ft (1’017 m MSL)
About Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport / Kandahar Airfield
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport (Pashto: د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر, IATA: KDH, ICAO: OAKN), and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield (KAF), is located in the Daman District of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, about 9 NM (17 km; 10 mi) southeast from the city of Kandahar. It serves as the nation's second main international airport and as one of the largest main operating bases, capable of housing up to 250 aircraft of different sizes. The current head of the airport is Maulvi Fathullah Mansour.
The airport was built by Americans in the early 1960s. It was occupied by the Soviets during the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War, as well as serving as the Afghan Army’s 665th Commando Brigade headquarters. Following their withdrawal the airport remained in control of Mohammad Najibullah's government until he stepped down in 1992. Thereafter, local military commanders took control of the airport until the American invasion in late 2001. It was also the site of Airstan incident in 1995, as well as the Indian Airlines Flight 814 incident in 1999.
Since 2007, the airport has been repaired and expanded. Its runway can support all types of aircraft, including a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III or an Antonov An-225 Mriya.