Kunduz Airport

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Kunduz Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
(de facto)
OperatorIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan Taliban
(the Taliban does not mantain an air force, as of 2021)
Afghan Air Force
(until 15 August 2021)
ServesKunduz Province
LocationKunduz, Afghanistan
Built1960s
Elevation AMSL1,457 ft / 444 m
Coordinates36°39′54″N 68°54′39″E / 36.66500°N 68.91083°E / 36.66500; 68.91083 (Kunduz Airport (Kunduz))Coordinates: 36°39′54″N 68°54′39″E / 36.66500°N 68.91083°E / 36.66500; 68.91083 (Kunduz Airport (Kunduz))
Map
UND is located in Afghanistan
UND
UND
Location of airport in Afghanistan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 6,550 1,996 Asphalt
Sources: Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation of Afghanistan,[1] worldaerodata.com,[2] Great Circle Mapper,[3] Landings.com,[4] AIP Afghanistan[5]

Kunduz Airport (IATA: UND, ICAO: OAUZ) is a public and military airport located 5 miles (8 km) south-southeast of Kunduz (also spelled Konduz),[1] a city in Kunduz Province in Afghanistan. It is also 9 miles (14 km) west of Khan Abad, 25 miles (40 km) south of the Oxus River, and 33 miles (53 km) south of the Tajikistan border.[1]

The airport was originally built in the 1960s by American engineers.[6] It was used by Soviet forces during the 1980s. It is operated today by the Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation but also used by the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the Resolute Support Mission with five distinct areas located within the site boundary.

In August 2021, Kunduz Airport fell to the Taliban after a surrender by government forces. The Taliban does not yet have an air force which can be deployed from the airfield, although it has captured weaponry and vehicles from the Afghan National Army and Afghan Air Force,[7] including an Mi-35 Hind attack helicopter given to the Afghan Air Force by India.

Airlines and destinations[]

All flights from Kunduz Airport are suspended. Kam Air formerly operated services to Kabul International Airport.

Facilities[]

The airport resides at an elevation of 1,457 feet (444 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 11/29 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,550 by 148 feet (1,996 m × 45 m).[5] A new terminal was added to the airport in 2017, which has a capacity of 1,300 passengers. The entire airport is being expanded.[8]

Incidents[]

  • On 17 May 2010, confirmed reports state that Pamir Airways Flight 112, an Antonov An-24, crashed 100 km away from Kabul International Airport.[9] The plane was en route from Kunduz Airport to Kabul, when it suddenly disappeared from radars.[10][11] The wreckage was located on 20 May, rescuers reached the site on 21 May. No signs of life were found.[12]
  • On 28 September 2015, during the Battle of Kunduz, many civilians from the city of Kunduz fled to the airport, which was not taken by the Taliban.[13] According to a government security official, the Taliban had been vastly outnumbered, with only an estimated 500 fighters remaining against about 7,000 government troops and allied militia members.[13] However, local politicians from Kunduz said that the government had failed to provide leadership and support to its fighters in the area.[13]
  • On 11 August 2021, the news channel Russia Today, reported that the airport was captured by the Taliban. The airport's government forces had outlasted other centres in Kunduz before its capture.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Kunduz Airport". Afghanistan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. 21 March 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  2. ^ Airport information for OAUZ from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  3. ^ Airport information for UND at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  4. ^ Airport record for Kunduz Airport at Landings.com. Retrieved 1 August 2013
  5. ^ a b "AIP Afghanistan - Important Information". Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  6. ^ Smith, Harvey Henry (1969). Area Handbook for Afghanistan (fourth ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 36. The airports at Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Kunduz were built with United States assistance.
  7. ^ "Taliban takes control of airport in Afghanistan's Kunduz, seizes chopper gifted by India". www.msn.com. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Kunduz airport gets new terminal worth $1.4m". Pajhwok Afghan News. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Afghan Official: Passenger Plane Crashes". FoxNews.com. Associated Press. 17 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Afghan passenger flight reported missing". Flightglobal.com. 17 May 2010.
  11. ^ "Pamir Airways plane carrying 41 people missing between Kunduz and Kabul". WireUpdate.com. BNO News. 17 May 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  12. ^ Shah, Amir (21 May 2010). "Afghan minister: No sign of life at airline crash". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  13. ^ a b c "Taliban Fighters Capture Kunduz City as Afghan Forces Retreat". The New York Times. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.

External links[]

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