Afghanistan - Airfields

Afghanistan has a number of major and secondary airfields at which cargo flights could deliver some tens of thousand of metric tons of goods annually. Six Afghan airfields probably can handle long-range, heavy transports such as the Il-76, capable of carrying up to 40 metric tons of cargo. Another seven smaller airfields can handle at least short-range, light ­to-medium, transport aircraft-such as the An-26, An-32, and C-130­ which can carry up to 20, metric tons of cargo.

By mid 1985 the Soviets had built or significantly improved seven airbases: Herat, Shindand, Farah, Qandahar, Kabul International Airport, Bagrami, and Jalalabad. Airfields at Mazar a Sharif, Konduz, Ghazni, and Pol a Charkhi also were improved somewhat. All were turned into all weather, jet air bases (although: Jalalabad continued to be principally for helicopters). The two most important air bases, where the sensitive technical support and maintenance capabilities were located, were at Bagrami and Shindand the former serving as the supreme local headquarters for the entire Soviet military operation in Afghanistan. Most military aircraft were not permanently based at any one field, for maintenance and support were concentrated at these two fields. No Afghans were permitted on the Shindand Air Base.

In the early 1990s Afghan Air Force units were reportedly deployed at five airfields around the country -- the military air bases at Shindand, the Kabul International and Kandahar dual use civil/military airfields, and the civilian airports at Herat and Mazar-e Sharif. Other military air bases include Bagram and Jalalabad. Civilian airfields include Kunduz, Maimana, Shebergan, and Talulqan. Another large concentration of Soviet personnel was at Bagram, some 50 kilometers north of Kabul.

Bagram was regarded as the most critical air base in the country, with the greatest concentration of aircraft and Air Force personnel, along with an independent regiment and a brigade from the 108th Kabul-based MRD. Soviet troops operated from Shindand Airbase in western Afghanistan during the 1980s, with a division (5th GMRD)) protecting this second most important airbase. Soviet fixed-wing aircraft were used to attack villages which might serve as Mujahideen bases, while helicopter gunships attacked guerrillas in contact with Soviet ground troops.

The Rabbani government air force bombarded Shindand airbase held by Hezb-e Islami in August 1992. To the north of Kabul, the city of Charikar and Bagram military airbase were recaptured by the Taliban in early 1997. In September 1997 the Taliban captured the eastern province of Farah and the city of Shindand, site of Afghanistan's largest air force base.

The Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC) was delegated the Airspace Control Authority (ACA) for Afghanistan and the Kabul Flight Information Region (FIR) effective 0730 UTC 11 February 2002 until further notice. As of 2005 operational aerodromes in Afghanistan were: Kabul International (OAKB), Kandahar (OAKN), Bagram (OAIX), and Kunduz (OAUZ). Civil aircraft operations at other airfields may be permitted with prior approval.

Key priorities, for the period 2004-2010, in the civil aviation and tourism subprogram include the following public investments: Upgrading of Kabul Airport to a fully-fledged international airport meeting ICAO standards; Upgrading Herat, Mazar and Jalalabad airports to international standards; Upgrading 15 major domestic airports at Badakshan, Bamyan, Bost, Chagcharan, Faizabad, Gardez, Khawahan, Khost, Kunduz, Maymana, Qala-I-Naw, Sheberghan, Taloqan, Yakawlang, and Zaranz.

Airport	Type	Runway length		Latitude		Longitude
		meters	feet
Bagram Airbase	Military	3,000	9,842	34°56'46"N	34.946139	69°15'54"E	69.264972
Bamian  / Bamiyan	unknown	1,500		34°49'00"N	34.8167	67°49'00"E	67.8167
Chagcharan				°'"N	.	°'"E	.
Fayzabad / Faizabad	unknown	1,800		37°07'00"N	37.1167	70°31'00"E	70.5167
Herat	Civilian	2,600	8,255	34°12'32"N	34.208889	62°13'41"E	62.228056
Jalalabad	Military	1,800	6,000	34°24'03"N	34.400833	70°29'50"E	70.497222
Kabul International	Civ/Mil	3,500	11,483	34°34'00"N	34.566667	69°12'32"E	69.208889
Kandahar / Qandahar	Civ/Mil	3,200	10,500	31°30'21"N	31.505833	65°50'52"E	65.847778
Khowst
Konduz / Kunduz	Civilian	2,000	6,562	36°39'54"N	36.665	68°54'39"E	68.910833
Mazar-e Sharif	Civilian	3,100	10,361	36°42'25"N	36.706944	67°12'33"E	67.209167
Meymanah / Maimana	Civilian	2,000	5,224	35°55'50"N	35.930556	64°45'41"E	64.761389
Rhino FOB
Sheberghan	Civilian	2,600	8,599	36°45'01"N	36.750278	65°54'54"E	65.915000
Shindand Airbase	Military	2,700	9,140	33°23'29"N	33.391389	62°15'40"E	62.261111
Taloqan / Talulqan	Civilian	2,000	5,164	36°46'15"N	36.77075	69°31'55"E	69.532000