Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport

Mazar-e-Sharif International Airport (Dari: میدان هوائی مزار شریف, Meydâne Havâyeye Mazâre Šarif; Pashto: مزار شریف نړیوال هوايي ډګر) (IATA: MZR, ICAO: OAMS),[4] officially called Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport,[5][6] is located about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, which is around 15 minutes of driving distance from the center of the city.

Mazar-e-Sharif International Airport

میدان هوائی مزار شریف

مزار شریف نړیوال هوايي ډګر
The airport's new terminal in June 2014
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Afghanistan
OperatorMinistry of Transport and Civil Aviation
ServesNorthern Afghanistan
LocationMazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Built1960s[1]
Elevation AMSL1,259 ft / 384 m
Coordinates36°42′25″N 67°12′34″E
Map
MZR is located in Afghanistan
MZR
MZR
Location of airport in Afghanistan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
06/24 9,836 2,998 Asphalt
Sources: Landings.com,[2] AIP Afghanistan[3]

Situated at an elevation of 1,259 ft (384 m) above sea level, the airport has one asphalt runway measuring around 9,836 ft × 170 ft (2,998 m × 52 m) and several taxiways, and facilities for up to 1,000 passengers.[7] It serves much of the population of northern Afghanistan. In 2013, a sixty million euro terminal was added to the airport while the older terminal is now used for domestic flights.[8][9][10]

Though originally constructed with 2 parallel runways, the airport's northernmost runway has since been converted into a taxiway, making it one of the largest airports in Afghanistan.[11][12] The Mazar-i-Sharif rail terminal is located to the east of the airport, which is connected to the Hairatan border town in the north. The Ministry of Defense also has a military base adjacent to the airport.

Other nearby airports include Kunduz Airport in Kunduz Province to the east; Kabul International Airport in Kabul Province to the southeast; Bamyan Airport in Bamyan Province to the south; and Sheberghan Airport in Jowzjan Province to the west.

History

Early years
Mazar-i-Sharif Airport in 1969

Mazar-i-Sharif Airport was built in the 1960s by the United States during the Cold War,[1] when the Soviets and the Americans were engaged in extending political ties in the Middle East and South Asia.[13] At that time the Soviet Union was less than 50 miles north of Mazar-i-Sharif.

During the 1970s, the airport began seeing a gradual increase in air traveling. For the first time large number of foreign tourists began arriving to see historical places in the city.

The airport was heavily used in the 1980s by the Soviet forces from which they launched daily flight missions to hit targets in the Mujahideen controlled territories of Afghanistan. It also served as one of the main hubs for deploying troops from the neighboring former Soviet Union.

21st century
An American Lockheed C-5 Galaxy at Camp Marmal in 2012

In 2005, Camp Marmal was built next to the airport, which gradually expanded to one of the largest military bases in Afghanistan. In 2006, after Germany took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the airfield functioned as a main hub for the exchange of personnel as well as air cargo. Since 2008 a TACAN installation for an instrument landing system was available for bad weather operation.[14] It served all ISAF personnel, including American and Afghan Armed Forces.

Work on a new international terminal began in 2010 and was completed in 2013. A special inauguration ceremony was held in June 2013, which was attended by then-German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Afghanistan's Transport and Aviation Minister Daoud Ali Najafi, Balkh's Governor Atta Muhammad Nur and some parliamentarians. After the inauguration, the airport was given the name Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport. This was to honor the famous historical Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi. The expansion of the airport was a joint venture of Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cost 60 million euros and took about three years to complete. The project was overseen by a Turkish company.[7][15][11]

On 30 June 2014 the Royal Netherlands Air Force detachment of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon's ended.[16]

In August 2021, forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took control of the airport.[17] The transfer of power led to a situation where as many as 1,000 people were left waiting to get out of the airport, stranded for several days.[18] Following the resumption of Taliban rule, agreement was reached with the UAE that allowed GAAC to administer airport security,[19] and with Uzbekistan to train 20 Afghan specialists in air traffic control at the airport and to replace the antiquated air navigation equipment.[20]

Airlines and destinations

As of October 2023, the following airlines provide travel services at Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport:[21]

AirlinesDestinations
Ariana Afghan Airlines Jeddah, Kabul, Mashhad, Tehran[5]
Mahan Air Mashhad, Tehran
Kam Air Islamabad, Kabul[22]

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. Airport record for Mazar-e-Sharif Airport at Landings.com. Retrieved 2013-8-1
  3. "AIP - Important Information - Civil Aviation Authority". Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  5. "Flights between Mazar-i-Sharif, Jeddah begin". Pajhwok Afghan News. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  6. "Mazar airport officials crack down on gold smuggling". Ariana News. April 11, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  7. "Balkh airport terminal inaugurated". Pajhwok Afghan News. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  8. "Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan's biggest international airport". BBC News. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  9. "Skyscanner". www.skyscanner.net. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  10. "Mazar-I-Sharif Airport, Afghanistan - Wegoreise.de". www.wegoreise.de. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  11. "Willkommen bei der KfW Entwicklungsbank". Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  12. images of Mazar-i-Sharif Airport Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Richard (27 November 2009). "Defence of the Realm: The forgotten country". Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  14. "Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum". Archived from the original on 27 July 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  15. "International Airport to Open Soon in Mazar: Officials". 28 October 2012. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  16. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2014. p. 33.
  17. "Huge blow for Afghan gov't as Taliban seizes northern stronghold". www.aljazeera.com. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  18. "Planes stranded at Mazar-i-Sharif airport waiting to leave". BBC News. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  19. "GAAC to Uplift Afghanistan's Airports to the Modern Era". Khaama Press. May 10, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  20. "Afghanistan airport in Mazar-i-Sharif resumes operations with Uzbekistan assistance". Asian News International. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  21. "Kabul airport reopens to receive aid, domestic flights restart". Al Jazeera. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  22. "Kam Air route map". Retrieved 2023-10-24.

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