KAN · Kano, Nigeria
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
--:--:-- · WAT (UTC+01:00) · 12.0456° N, 8.5236° E
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
International airport serving Kano, Nigeria
Verification trail
Source-backed facts for KAN
This section separates stable airport identifiers from live operating data. Codes, coordinates, timezone, elevation, source identifiers, and accepted reference links are retained here; live arrivals, departures, gates, delays, NOTAMs, and airline schedule changes must still be checked with the airport or carrier.
Airport catalog
OurAirports ID 2115; ident DNKN; scheduled service listed.
Cached airports.csv snapshot: 2026-04-25; runways.csv snapshot: 2026-05-21.
Official airport source
faannigeria.org
Used as the preferred live-reference handoff for terminals, gates, alerts, and airport notices.
Open sourceReference summary
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Airport-shaped reference summary from en.wikipedia.org; summary snapshot 2026-05-20.
Open sourceManual / derived signals
18 source-backed signals
Merged from OurAirports cached airports.csv, OurAirports cached runways.csv, Wikidata airport entity snapshot, airport-shaped Wikipedia summary snapshot; facts generated 2026-05-21.
IATA / ICAO
KAN / DNKN
OurAirports ident
DNKN
GPS / local code
DNKN
ISO region
NG-KN
Scheduled service
Listed in source snapshot
Role
major international passenger gateway
Official host
faannigeria.org
Reference host
en.wikipedia.org
Wikidata entity
Q1431654
Snapshot generated
2026-05-21
Airport lookup keys
Stable codes
Regional keys
Nearby airport codes
Route reference codes
Accepted citation URLs
Last updated May 21, 2026. Stable airport identifiers and timezone facts are content-reviewed; clocks render live in the browser, while weather and time-difference notes are page-snapshot aids rather than permanent airport records.
Live values rendered at Nov 5, 8:22 PM UTC.
What you need to know now
Local airport time
--:--:--WAT · UTC+01:00
Time zone
WAT
Africa/Lagos · UTC+01:00
Airfield conditions
Live airport weather is temporarily unavailable.
Surface access
5.1 km
Approximate distance to central Kano.
Airport Snapshot
Country capital
Abuja
Languages
English
Currency
NGN (₦)
Country area
923,768 km²
Passenger volume
323,482 passengers
Terminals
Not clearly stated
Runways
2 runways
Longest runway
10,831 ft / 3,301 m
Runway surface
asphalt (2)
Opened / operator
1936
Owner / entity
Q1431654
Hub airlines
Mixed or not clearly stated
Airport role
major international passenger gateway
Scheduled service
Listed
Fact coverage
18 source-backed signals
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is a major international passenger gateway for Kano, Nigeria. Kano's built-up core sits roughly 5.1 km from the terminal area. Operations run on Africa/Lagos (UTC+01:00, WAT). Live weather is temporarily unavailable. With 3 other indexable airports in its surrounding network, it works well as a reference point for regional flight planning and timezone checks.
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN / DNKN) is at 12.0456° N, 8.5236° E, elevation 1,562 ft (476 m), serving Kano, Nigeria.
The accepted reference summary is used as supporting context for the airport identity and operating notes; the timed facts here still come from the airport catalog, timezone database, country snapshot, and linked source trail.
Kano is in Nigeria (capital Abuja); on Africa/Lagos (WAT, UTC+01:00); working languages: English; currency: NGN (₦).
Distance from central Kano: 5 km.
Airport context brief
A compact traveler-facing brief from the airport catalog, country snapshot, route geometry, city anchors, peer airports, and source trail for KAN.
Name and identity cues
Primary airport name
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN / DNKN)
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport · International airport serving Kano, Nigeria
Source identifiers
DNKN · DNKN · NG-KN
faannigeria.org · en.wikipedia.org · scheduled service yes
Source-specific airport notes
Regional role cue
It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after the 20th-century politician Aminu Kano.
Accepted from the airport reference trail as a role-specific cue for KAN; not treated as a live service guarantee.
Surface access cue
It was a Royal Air Force station before the country became independent.
Kept as traveler context from the source trail; current road, rail, and bus operations still need official confirmation.
Closest mapped city anchors
1. Kano
kano · 5.1 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 4,910,000 · city coordinates 12.0001, 8.5167
2. Wudil
wudil · 44 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 23,066 · city coordinates 11.8094, 8.8442
3. Rano
rano · 55 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 17,972 · city coordinates 11.5568, 8.5807
4. Gaya
gaya · 56 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 20,959 · city coordinates 11.8606, 9.0027
5. Gwarzo
gwarzo · 66 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 16,303 · city coordinates 11.9160, 7.9337
6. Dutse
dutse · 94 km from KAN
Nigeria · Africa/Lagos · +0h · population 17,129 · city coordinates 11.7562, 9.3390
Airport alternatives in the retained graph
1. ABV DNAA
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport · Abuja
365 km from KAN · Africa/Lagos · +0h · elevation 1,123 ft (342 m) · airport coordinates 9.0068, 7.2632
2. NIM DRRN
Diori Hamani International Airport · Niamey
706 km from KAN · Africa/Niamey · +0h · elevation 732 ft (223 m) · airport coordinates 13.4815, 2.1836
3. NDJ FTTJ
N'Djamena International Airport · N'Djamena
708 km from KAN · Africa/Ndjamena · +0h · elevation 968 ft (295 m) · airport coordinates 12.1337, 15.0340
Route-time reference set
1. KAN-ABV
Abuja · 365 km · 1h 18m
Africa/Lagos · +0h from KAN; reference route only, not a live schedule.
2. KAN-NIM
Niamey · 706 km · 1h 44m
Africa/Niamey · +0h from KAN; reference route only, not a live schedule.
3. KAN-NDJ
N'Djamena · 708 km · 1h 44m
Africa/Ndjamena · +0h from KAN; reference route only, not a live schedule.
Runway source evidence
Published runway count
2 runways
Longest runway 10,831 ft / 3,301 m. 2 lighted runways in the runway snapshot.
Runway surface mix
asphalt (2)
Surface labels are normalized from the OurAirports runway rows for KAN.
Runway identifiers
05/23 · 06/24
Identifier pairs are retained as airport-specific runway cues, not live operational availability claims.
Same-country airport context
1. ABV DNAA
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport · Abuja · 365 km from KAN
large airport · Africa/Lagos · nigeria · 1,123 ft (342 m) · 9.0068, 7.2632
2. PHC DNPO
Port Harcourt International Airport · Port Harcourt · 801 km from KAN
large airport · Africa/Lagos · nigeria · 87 ft (27 m) · 5.0155, 6.9496
3. LOS DNMM
Murtala Muhammed International Airport · Lagos · 834 km from KAN
large airport · Africa/Lagos · nigeria · 135 ft (41 m) · 6.5774, 3.3212
Accepted operational notes
Source note 1
The airport has an international and a domestic terminal.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for KAN.
Source note 2
Construction started on a new domestic terminal and was commissioned on 23 May 2011.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for KAN.
Source note 3
In 2009, the airport handled 323,482 passengers.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for KAN.
Country and authority
KAN sits in Nigeria (Federal Republic of Nigeria), whose capital is Abuja. No specific civil-aviation authority label is attached in the current map, so this page avoids inventing one. Country context: Africa, Western Africa.
Traveler context
Common country-language signals: English. Currency context: NGN (₦). KAN is listed with scheduled service in the airport source snapshot.
Reference description
International airport serving Kano, Nigeria. This description is used only as identity context; live flight status, terminal assignment, and airport alerts still belong to the official airport or airline source.
Source-specific cues
Regional role cue: It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after the 20th-century politician Aminu Kano. Surface access cue: It was a Royal Air Force station before the country became independent.
Entity fingerprint
Wikidata airport entity: Q1431654 · Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. Administrative area: Kano. Named after: Aminu Kano
Field and clock profile
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is a moderate-elevation field at 1,562 ft (476 m), positioned at 12.0456° N, 8.5236° E in the Northern tropics. The runway snapshot lists 2 runways and a longest runway of 10,831 ft / 3,301 m. The airport clock uses Africa/Lagos (WAT, UTC+01:00), so cross-date arrivals should be checked against this zone rather than the airline origin city.
City and airport alternatives
Kano is the closest retained city-time anchor at 5.1 km. ABV Abuja is the closest retained airport alternative at 365 km.
Country airport peers
KAN is compared with ABV Abuja at 365 km, PHC Port Harcourt at 801 km, LOS Lagos at 834 km inside the retained Nigeria airport set, which is useful when backup airports share the same country context but differ by city, route network, and clock behavior.
Route geometry
KAN-ABV Abuja: 365 km, about 1h 18m, +0h. KAN-NIM Niamey: 706 km, about 1h 44m, +0h. KAN-NDJ N'Djamena: 708 km, about 1h 44m, +0h. These are distance and timezone references, not live flight availability claims.
Source trail
OurAirports ident DNKN backs the stable code, coordinate, elevation, and timezone record. faannigeria.org is attached as the official airport website. en.wikipedia.org is used only as supporting reference context. Snapshot date: 2026-05-21.
Operational Profile
Traffic profile
323,482 passengers
Airline role
Mixed commercial service
Terminal footprint
See operational notes
Runway footprint
2 runways · longest 10,831 ft / 3,301 m
Runway identifiers
05/23, 06/24
OurAirports classifies KAN as a large airport with scheduled service; the airport name and codes identify it as an international gateway for Kano.
KAN (DNKN) is one of the curated airport pages with a real traffic signal attached: 323,482 passengers, operating from a moderate-elevation field at 1,562 ft (476 m).
KAN sits in a broader regional network with 3 nearby curated alternatives, so airline choice and connection strategy are part of the planning story here.
KAN's runway record lists 2 runways, with the longest runway at 10,831 ft / 3,301 m and source surfaces recorded as asphalt (2).
A specific operator or management record for KAN is not currently in our source set, so this page leans on regulator and country context rather than inventing one.
- The airport has an international and a domestic terminal.
- Construction started on a new domestic terminal and was commissioned on 23 May 2011.
- In 2009, the airport handled 323,482 passengers.
These operational notes prefer the structured airport facts snapshot, then fall back to the accepted airport reference at faannigeria.org, then blend that with local timezone, route, and city-access data already on this page.
Decision matrix for KAN
These are the specific situations where this airport page earns its keep: time-zone conversion, city transfer planning, nearby airport backup logic, and source-confidence checks before acting.
When the clock matters
KAN uses Africa/Lagos (WAT, UTC+01:00). Use this before overnight arrivals, cross-date departures, and same-day connections.
When surface access matters
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is about 5.1 km from central Kano; build that transfer into arrival and check-in planning.
When alternates matter
ABV Abuja is the closest retained alternate at 365 km, time difference +0h.
When source checks matter
faannigeria.org is listed as the official airport website in the airport facts snapshot; live schedules, gates, routes, terminals, and NOTAM-sensitive operations still need official airport or airline verification.
How this airport compares nearby
These comparisons place KAN inside the retained airport graph by country, timezone, elevation, and coordinate neighbors. They are deterministic dataset facts, not generated flight claims.
Country-rank position
KAN ranks #2 in the curated Nigeria airport set when large airports are listed before medium airports, then sorted by IATA code. The retained country set has 4 airports.
Same-zone airport cohort
KAN shares Africa/Lagos with ABV Abuja NG · LOS Lagos NG · PHC Port Harcourt NG. This helps separate same-clock airports by city, country, code, and geography.
Elevation-neighbor cohort
KAN is 1,562 ft (476 m). Closest elevation peers in the retained airport set include SCL 1,555 ft (474 m) (7 ft delta) · XIY 1,572 ft (479 m) (10 ft delta) · COR 1,604 ft (489 m) (42 ft delta) · WTB 1,509 ft (460 m) (53 ft delta) · CTU 1,625 ft (495 m) (63 ft delta).
Coordinate-neighbor check
KAN's nearest retained coordinate neighbors are ABV 365 km +0h · NIM 706 km +0h · NDJ 708 km +0h.
Flight Path Arc
Great-circle route between airports with animated plane. Pick a route.
Arriving From / Departing To
| Destination | Route code | Distance | Estimated window | Time difference | Destination clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abuja | ABV | 365 km | 1h 18m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Niamey | NIM | 706 km | 1h 44m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| N'Djamena | NDJ | 708 km | 1h 44m | +0h | --:--:-- |
KAN to ABV
Abuja
Distance 365 km; estimated travel window 1h 18m; destination zone Africa/Lagos is +0h from KAN. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
KAN to NIM
Niamey
Distance 706 km; estimated travel window 1h 44m; destination zone Africa/Niamey is +0h from KAN. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
KAN to NDJ
N'Djamena
Distance 708 km; estimated travel window 1h 44m; destination zone Africa/Ndjamena is +0h from KAN. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
Airport Details
Timezone
Ground Transport and Nearby Context
Central Kano is close enough that taxi, ride-hail, and rail or shuttle links are usually the fastest arrival options.
Kano is the nearest mapped city anchor in the current dataset, which makes it the cleanest companion page when travelers want to switch from airport timing into local city timing.
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport has 3 nearby indexed airport alternatives, which makes backup departures and diversion logic part of real planning instead of a theoretical edge case.
Nearby city time anchors
Airport pages are most useful when they bridge into real city clocks. These city anchors are ranked by distance from KAN, then shown with their own timezone, local time, and time difference from the airport clock.
Kano
kano · 5.1 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Wudil
wudil · 44 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Rano
rano · 55 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Gaya
gaya · 56 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Gwarzo
gwarzo · 66 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Dutse
dutse · 94 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Malumfashi
malumfashi · 102 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Daura
daura · 112 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Gumel
gumel · 114 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Anchau
anchau · 121 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Kiyawa
kiyawa · 121 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Birnin Kudu
birnin-kudu · 123 km · Africa/Lagos
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Airlines and Network Role
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport does not have a long carrier list in the current source trail, so this page emphasizes the durable pieces travelers can safely use here: local time, field identifiers, nearby airports, and timezone differences.
The route timing references show the first cross-timezone planning burden after this airport: Abuja (ABV), Niamey (NIM), N'Djamena (NDJ). Treat them as distance and clock cues, then verify flight availability with the carrier.
Planning checkpoints
- Traffic signal: 323,482 passengers.
- Terminal footprint: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Runway footprint: 2 runways; longest runway 10,831 ft / 3,301 m; identifiers 05/23, 06/24.
- Runway surfaces: asphalt (2); 2 lighted runways in the source snapshot.
- Operator / management: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Opened / inaugurated: 1936.
- Network role: mixed or not clearly stated in the source trail.
Nearby Airports
Nearby airports are ranked by coordinate distance from KAN. The time difference column is computed from IANA zones against the page snapshot, while the local clocks update in the browser.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International AirportABV
Abuja · large airport
- Distance
- 365 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 1,123 ft (342 m)
Compare against ABV when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Diori Hamani International AirportNIM
Niamey · large airport
- Distance
- 706 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 732 ft (223 m)
Compare against NIM when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
N'Djamena International AirportNDJ
N'Djamena · large airport
- Distance
- 708 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 968 ft (295 m)
Compare against NDJ when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Companion Planning Tools
Questions
FAQ
What timezone is Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN) in?▾
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is in the Africa/Lagos timezone (UTC+01:00, WAT).
What are the codes for Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport?▾
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport uses IATA code KAN and ICAO code DNKN.
Where is Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport located?▾
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, Nigeria at coordinates 12.0456° N, 8.5236° E, with an elevation of 1,562 ft (476 m) (moderate-elevation field in the tropics).
How far is Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport from central Kano?▾
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport sits roughly 5.1 km from the nearest mapped city center for Kano.
Which route reference is most useful from KAN?▾
Abuja (ABV) is one of the closest route references on this page, with an estimated travel window of 1h 18m, destination timezone Africa/Lagos, and a +0h difference from KAN.
What other airports in Nigeria are close peers to KAN?▾
KAN's curated peers in Nigeria on this site include ABV Abuja, PHC Port Harcourt, LOS Lagos.
How many runways does Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport have?▾
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport's source-backed operational summary lists 2 runways, with the longest runway recorded at 10,831 ft / 3,301 m; identifiers include 05/23, 06/24.