Jalalabad Airport Pashto:د جلال آباد هوايي ډګر | |||||||||||
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 View of the airport's control tower in 2008 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||
| Owner |  Afghanistan | ||||||||||
| Operator | |||||||||||
| Serves | Nangarhar Province | ||||||||||
| Location | Jalalabad, Afghanistan | ||||||||||
| Built | 1960s[2] | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,840 ft / 561 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°24′01″N70°29′54″E / 34.40028°N 70.49833°E /34.40028; 70.49833 (Jalalabad Airport (Jalalabad)) | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  JAA Location of airport in Afghanistan | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Source:Google Earth,[3] Landings.com,[4] AIP Afghanistan[5] | |||||||||||
Jalalabad Airport (Pashto:د جلال اباد هوايي ډګر;IATA:JAA,ICAO:OAJL), also known asNangarhar Airport,[6][1] and referred to asJalalabad Airfield (JAF) by the U.S. military during theWar in Afghanistan,[7] is located next to theKabul–Jalalabad Road, about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast ofJalalabad, which is the capital ofNangarhar Province inAfghanistan.[8] It is adomestic airport under the country'sMinistry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA),[1] and serves the population of not only Nangarhar but also neighboringKunar,Nuristan andLaghman provinces. It is also used by theMinistry of Defense for military purposes. Security in and around the airport is provided by theAfghan National Security Forces.
Situated at an elevation of 1,840 feet (561 m) abovesea level, Jalalabad Airport has oneasphaltrunway measuring around 7,260 by 140 feet (2,213 m × 43 m). It also has at least 18 helipads, a number of hangars and buildings used for military purposes.[3] The other closest major publicAfghan airports to Jalalabad are theKabul International Airport in neighboringKabul Province to the west andKhost Airport inKhost Province to the south.
Jalalabad Airport was used in the past by theUnited States Armed Forces and civilian contractors. They operated out ofForward Operating Base Fenty. Members of theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and laterResolute Support Mission (RSM) also used the airport in the past.[8][9]
Work on the airport began in the 1950s when Afghanistan was ruled by KingZahir Shah.[10] It was modernized during the 1960s with United States assistance.[2] During theSoviet–Afghan War, theSoviet Union turned the civilian airport into a military air base, used by an AfghanMil Mi-24 squadron inJalalabad.[11] In 1989, theAfghan Interim Government attempted to take the airport in what became the Battle of Jalalabad Airport, later escalating into theBattle of Jalalabad.[12] They were unsuccessful and pushed out by theAfghan Armed Forces. It was recently expanded byNATO forces during their decades-longwar with theTaliban.
According to MoTCA, a new airport will be built in theKuz Kunar District ofNangarhar Province.[13]
Jalalabad Airport handles only domestic flights. According to MoTCA, "there will be three to four flights each week."[1] Between August 2021 and July 2022, there were no scheduled airlines operating at Jalalabad Airport except those operated by theAfghan Air Force and United Nations agencies.[6][14]
On 30 June 2010, acar bomb was set off and insurgents stormed the airport. According toZabiullah Mujahid, aTaliban spokesman, said the Taliban were responsible and killed 32 Afghan and non-Afghan security forces. According toNATO, there were eight Taliban deaths and one Afghan and one coalition member injured.[15][16]
14 people, including 6 United States Airmen and 5 passengers and 3 local nationals, were killed when aLockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraftcrashed shortly after take-off from Jalalabad Airport on 2 October 2015.[17]
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Media related toJalalabad Airport at Wikimedia Commons
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