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'''Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport''', also referred to as '''Kandahar International Airport''' ({{lang-ps|د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=OAKN/Kandahar International General Airport Information|url=https://acukwik.com/Airport-Info/OAKN|access-date=2020-09-01|website=acukwik.com}}</ref>), and by some military officials as '''Kandahar Airfield''', '''KAF''') {{Airport codes|KDH|OAKN}},<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kandahar International Airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan|url=https://militarybases.com/overseas/afghanistan/kandahar/|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Military Bases|language=en-US}}</ref> is located in the [[Daman District, Afghanistan|Daman District]] of [[Kandahar Province]] in [[Afghanistan]], about {{cvt|9|NM|lk=in}} southeast from the city of [[Kandahar]].<ref name=aip/> It serves as the nation's second main [[international airport]] and as one of the largest [[main operating base]]s, capable of housing up to 250 aircraft of different sizes.<ref name="Kandahar airport gaining international trust">{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2015/06/03/kandahar-airport-gaining-international-trust |title=Kandahar airport gaining international trust |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=June 3, 2015 |access-date=2015-06-04}}</ref> The current head of the airport is Maulvi Fathullah Mansour.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2021/11/23/interim-cabinet-expanded-corps-commanders-named/ |title=Interim cabinet expanded; corps commanders named |work=Pajhwok Afghan News|date=23 November 2021}}</ref>
The airport was built by [[Americans]] in the early 1960s.<ref name="Helmand's Golden Age"/> It was occupied by the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]s 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 [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|government]] until he stepped down in 1992. Thereafter, local military commanders took control of the airport until the [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=OAKN/Kandahar International General Airport Information|url=https://acukwik.com/Airport-Info/OAKN|access-date=2020-08-05|website=acukwik.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2.2.3 Afghanistan Kandahar International Airport - Logistics Capacity Assessment - Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments|url=https://dlca.logcluster.org/display/public/DLCA/2.2.3+Afghanistan+Kandahar+International+Airport|access-date=2020-08-05|website=dlca.logcluster.org}}</ref>
Since 2007, the airport has been repaired and expanded.<ref name="Kandahar airport gaining international trust"/> Its runway can support all types of aircraft, including a [[Boeing C-17 Globemaster III]] or an [[Antonov An-225 Mriya]]. The airport can be used for both military and civilian flights. The military section of the airport is maintained by the [[Afghan Armed Forces]]. The [[Afghan National Police]] provides security inside and outside the civilian terminal of the airport.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/06/23/kandahar-international-airport-lacks-elemental-facilities4 |title=Kandahar International Airport lacks elemental facilities |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |last=Tanha |first=Ahmad Fareed |date=23 June 2018 |access-date=2020-08-04}}</ref>
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The airport was mostly used at this time for military and humanitarian purposes, hosting regular flights of the [[United Nations]] and the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] to and from Kabul, [[Jalalabad]], [[Herat]], and [[Peshawar]]. [[Ariana Afghan Airlines]] (the national carrier of Afghanistan) also flew infrequent flights out of Kandahar to Pakistan and a few locations in Afghanistan such as Herat, Kabul, and Jalalabad.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
The airport came into the public eye during the tense drama that was played out when [[Pakistani]] [[terrorist]]s belonging to [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]], who hijacked and landed [[Indian Airlines Flight 814]] on the airfield in December 1999
=== 21st century ===
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Beginning in 2007, the airport was maintained by NATO under the [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF) banner, although a prominent base for the US and Canadian Forces, many other Armed Forces were based there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exitstrategyafghanistan.blogspot.com/2013/03/month-7-day-3.html|title=Exit Strategy|author=Exit Strategy|date=3 March 2013|access-date=8 December 2015}}</ref> British Forces used Kandahar as their main staging post for the south and fLee direct into the Helmand province. Fast jets and combat helicopters were also deployed as this is the main airport in the south of the country. NATO operated a major trauma hospital at the base, treating battle casualties, including Afghan civilians and enemy forces.<ref>Reilly, Corinne, "[http://hamptonroads.com/2011/07/chance-hell-part-one-inside-combat-hospital-afghanistan Near Afghanistan’s front lines, a daily fight for life] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912023703/http://hamptonroads.com/2011/07/chance-hell-part-one-inside-combat-hospital-afghanistan |date=12 September 2011 }}", ''[[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot]]'', 31 July 2011.</ref>
In July 2007, the post of '''Commander, Kandahar Airfield''' (COMKAF) was created as a [[
Commander, Kandahar Airfield has been held by:
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According to OSGEOINT (Open Source Imagery & Geospacial Intelligence), imagery analysis shows 2 deployments of unmanned aerial vehicles on the northeast section of the airfield. These two deployments were current as of 2012 and consisted of four MQ-1 Predators and four MQ-9 Reapers with the associated support equipment.
As of January 2012, Kandahar Airfield has a population of roughly 26,000 personnel. The [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] began expansion work with the addition of new facilities for
Since 2011, modified [[Beechcraft King Air]]s have been used by the US Army for surveillance and reconnaissance within Afghanistan.<ref name="AFMJUL14">{{cite book|title=[[AirForces Monthly]]|date=July 2014|publisher=[[Key Publishing]] Ltd|location=[[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]], [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]]|pages=17}}</ref>
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Between May 2010 and September 2014 the USAF operated [[Beechcraft C-12 Huron|Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty]] aircraft from here for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.<ref>{{cite book|title=[[AirForces Monthly]]|date=November 2014|publisher=[[Key Publishing]] Ltd|location=[[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]], [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]]|pages=29}}</ref>
In May 2021, the [[Resolute Support Mission]] departed the base and handed it over to members of the [[Afghan
== Airlines and destinations ==
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| [[Ariana Afghan Airlines]] | [[Kabul International Airport|Kabul]], [[Mashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport|Mashhad]]
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| [[Kam Air]] |
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| [[Kish Air]] | [[Mashhad Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport|Mashhad]]
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| [[Yazd Airways]] | [[Imam Khomeini International Airport|Tehran–Imam Khomeini]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yazdairways.com/%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%AA-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%B4%D9%87|title=Yazd Air launches new routes from Tehran to Afghan cities|date=January 2024}}</ref>
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[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kandahar]]
[[Category:Airports in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) sites]]
[[Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Military bases of the United Kingdom in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1962]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Military bases of Australia in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Military installations of Afghanistan]]
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