KBL · Kabul, Afghanistan
Kabul International Airport.
--:--:-- · AFT (UTC+04:30) · 34.5659° N, 69.2123° E
Kabul International Airport
International airport near Kabul, Afghanistan
Verification trail
Source-backed facts for KBL
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 5072; ident OAKB; scheduled service listed.
Cached airports.csv snapshot: 2026-04-25; runways.csv snapshot: 2026-05-21.
Official airport source
kia.gov.af
Used as the preferred live-reference handoff for terminals, gates, alerts, and airport notices.
Open sourceReference summary
Kabul 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
KBL / OAKB
OurAirports ident
OAKB
GPS / local code
OAKB
ISO region
AF-KAB
Scheduled service
Listed in source snapshot
Role
international scheduled-service gateway
Official host
kia.gov.af
Reference host
en.wikipedia.org
Wikidata entity
Q744802
Snapshot generated
2026-05-21
Airport lookup keys
Stable codes
Regional keys
Alternate names
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, 8:21 PM UTC.
What you need to know now
Local airport time
--:--:--AFT · UTC+04:30
Time zone
AFT
Asia/Kabul · UTC+04:30
Airfield conditions
Live airport weather is temporarily unavailable.
Surface access
5.6 km
Approximate distance to central Kabul.
Airport Snapshot
Country capital
Kabul
Languages
Dari, Pashto
Currency
AFN (؋)
Country area
652,230 km²
Passenger volume
Source note unavailable
Terminals
Not clearly stated
Runways
1 runway
Longest runway
11,483 ft / 3,500 m
Runway surface
asphalt
Opened / operator
1960
Owner / entity
Q744802
Hub airlines
Mixed or not clearly stated
Airport role
international scheduled-service gateway
Scheduled service
Listed
Fact coverage
18 source-backed signals
Kabul International Airport is a international scheduled-service gateway for Kabul, Afghanistan. Kabul's built-up core sits roughly 5.6 km from the terminal area. Operations run on Asia/Kabul (UTC+04:30, AFT). 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.
Kabul International Airport (KBL / OAKB) is at 34.5659° N, 69.2123° E, elevation 5,877 ft (1,791 m), serving Kabul, Afghanistan.
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.
Kabul is in Afghanistan (capital Kabul); on Asia/Kabul (AFT, UTC+04:30); working languages: Dari, Pashto, Turkmen; currency: AFN (؋).
Distance from central Kabul: 6 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 KBL.
Name and identity cues
Primary airport name
Kabul International Airport (KBL / OAKB)
Kabul International Airport · International airport near Kabul, Afghanistan
Known label 1
Hamid Karzai International Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for KBL, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Known label 2
Khwaja Rawash Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for KBL, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Source identifiers
OAKB · OAKB · AF-KAB
kia.gov.af · en.wikipedia.org · scheduled service yes
Source-specific airport notes
Regional role cue
It is one of the country's main international airports, capable of housing over a hundred military and civilian aircraft.
Accepted from the airport reference trail as a role-specific cue for KBL; not treated as a live service guarantee.
Closest mapped city anchors
1. Kabul
kabul · 5.6 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 4,434,550 · city coordinates 34.5281, 69.1723
2. Paghmān
paghman · 24 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 49,157 · city coordinates 34.5879, 68.9509
3. Istālif
istalif · 32 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 41,413 · city coordinates 34.8327, 69.0776
4. Charikar
charikar · 50 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 53,676 · city coordinates 35.0136, 69.1714
5. Jabal os Saraj
jabal-os-saraj · 61 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 15,032 · city coordinates 35.1183, 69.2378
6. Baraki Barak
baraki-barak · 71 km from KBL
Afghanistan · Asia/Kabul · +0h · population 22,305 · city coordinates 33.9674, 68.9492
Airport alternatives in the retained graph
1. PEW OPPS
Bacha Khan International Airport · Peshawar
221 km from KBL · Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m · elevation 1,158 ft (353 m) · airport coordinates 33.9939, 71.5146
2. ISB OPIS
Islamabad International Airport · Attock
352 km from KBL · Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m · elevation 1,761 ft (537 m) · airport coordinates 33.5490, 72.8257
3. LYP OPFA
Faisalabad International Airport · Faisalabad
501 km from KBL · Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m · elevation 591 ft (180 m) · airport coordinates 31.3649, 72.9953
Route-time reference set
1. KBL-PEW
Peshawar · 221 km · 1h 7m
Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m from KBL; reference route only, not a live schedule.
2. KBL-ISB
Attock · 352 km · 1h 17m
Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m from KBL; reference route only, not a live schedule.
3. KBL-LYP
Faisalabad · 501 km · 1h 28m
Asia/Karachi · +0h 30m from KBL; reference route only, not a live schedule.
Runway source evidence
Published runway count
1 runway
Longest runway 11,483 ft / 3,500 m. 1 lighted runway in the runway snapshot.
Runway surface mix
asphalt
Surface labels are normalized from the OurAirports runway rows for KBL.
Runway identifiers
11/29
Identifier pairs are retained as airport-specific runway cues, not live operational availability claims.
Accepted operational notes
Source note 1
It is currently operated by UAE-based GAAC Holding and Afghanistan's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for KBL.
Country and authority
KBL sits in Afghanistan (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan), whose capital is Kabul. No specific civil-aviation authority label is attached in the current map, so this page avoids inventing one. Country context: Asia, Southern Asia.
Traveler context
Common country-language signals: Dari, Pashto, Turkmen. Currency context: AFN (؋). KBL is listed with scheduled service in the airport source snapshot.
Names and local labels
KBL is also associated in the airport facts snapshot with Hamid Karzai International Airport, Khwaja Rawash Airport. These labels help catch alternate airport names without creating separate duplicate airport pages.
Reference description
International airport near Kabul, Afghanistan. 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 one of the country's main international airports, capable of housing over a hundred military and civilian aircraft.
Entity fingerprint
Wikidata airport entity: Q744802 · Kabul International Airport. Administrative area: Kabul. Named after: Hamid Karzai
Field and clock profile
Kabul International Airport is a high-elevation field at 5,877 ft (1,791 m), positioned at 34.5659° N, 69.2123° E in the Northern subtropics. The runway snapshot lists 1 runway and a longest runway of 11,483 ft / 3,500 m. The airport clock uses Asia/Kabul (AFT, UTC+04:30), so cross-date arrivals should be checked against this zone rather than the airline origin city.
City and airport alternatives
Kabul is the closest retained city-time anchor at 5.6 km. PEW Peshawar is the closest retained airport alternative at 221 km.
Country airport peers
KBL has no same-country peer airports retained in the current airport set, so the useful comparison points are its code, coordinates, timezone, and route references.
Route geometry
KBL-PEW Peshawar: 221 km, about 1h 7m, +0h 30m. KBL-ISB Attock: 352 km, about 1h 17m, +0h 30m. KBL-LYP Faisalabad: 501 km, about 1h 28m, +0h 30m. These are distance and timezone references, not live flight availability claims.
Source trail
OurAirports ident OAKB backs the stable code, coordinate, elevation, and timezone record. kia.gov.af 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
Reference airport
Airline role
Mixed commercial service
Terminal footprint
See operational notes
Runway footprint
1 runway · longest 11,483 ft / 3,500 m
Runway identifiers
11/29
OurAirports classifies KBL as a large airport with scheduled service; the airport name and codes identify it as an international gateway for Kabul.
KBL (OAKB) is a high-elevation field at 5,877 ft (1,791 m) in the subtropics, kept in the curated set for its route, timezone, and market-planning value.
KBL sits in a broader regional network with 3 nearby curated alternatives, so airline choice and connection strategy are part of the planning story here.
KBL's runway record lists 1 runway, with the longest runway at 11,483 ft / 3,500 m and source surfaces recorded as asphalt.
A specific operator or management record for KBL is not currently in our source set, so this page leans on regulator and country context rather than inventing one.
- It is currently operated by UAE-based GAAC Holding and Afghanistan's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
These operational notes prefer the structured airport facts snapshot, then fall back to the accepted airport reference at kia.gov.af, then blend that with local timezone, route, and city-access data already on this page.
Decision matrix for KBL
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
KBL uses Asia/Kabul (AFT, UTC+04:30). Use this before overnight arrivals, cross-date departures, and same-day connections.
When surface access matters
Kabul International Airport is about 5.6 km from central Kabul; build that transfer into arrival and check-in planning.
When alternates matter
PEW Peshawar is the closest retained alternate at 221 km, time difference +0h 30m.
When source checks matter
kia.gov.af 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 KBL inside the retained airport graph by country, timezone, elevation, and coordinate neighbors. They are deterministic dataset facts, not generated flight claims.
Country-rank position
KBL ranks #1 in the curated Afghanistan airport set when large airports are listed before medium airports, then sorted by IATA code. The retained country set has 1 airport.
Same-zone airport cohort
KBL has no other retained airport in the same IANA zone cohort, making Asia/Kabul a more distinctive signal for this page.
Elevation-neighbor cohort
KBL is 5,877 ft (1,791 m). Closest elevation peers in the retained airport set include BJX 5,956 ft (1,815 m) (79 ft delta) · COS 6,187 ft (1,886 m) (310 ft delta) · JNB 5,558 ft (1,694 m) (319 ft delta) · QRO 6,296 ft (1,919 m) (419 ft delta) · DEN 5,431 ft (1,655 m) (446 ft delta).
Coordinate-neighbor check
KBL's nearest retained coordinate neighbors are PEW 221 km +0h 30m · ISB 352 km +0h 30m · LYP 501 km +0h 30m.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peshawar | PEW | 221 km | 1h 7m | +0h 30m | --:--:-- |
| Attock | ISB | 352 km | 1h 17m | +0h 30m | --:--:-- |
| Faisalabad | LYP | 501 km | 1h 28m | +0h 30m | --:--:-- |
KBL to PEW
Peshawar
Distance 221 km; estimated travel window 1h 7m; destination zone Asia/Karachi is +0h 30m from KBL. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
KBL to ISB
Attock
Distance 352 km; estimated travel window 1h 17m; destination zone Asia/Karachi is +0h 30m from KBL. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
KBL to LYP
Faisalabad
Distance 501 km; estimated travel window 1h 28m; destination zone Asia/Karachi is +0h 30m from KBL. 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 Kabul is close enough that taxi, ride-hail, and rail or shuttle links are usually the fastest arrival options.
Kabul 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.
Kabul 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 KBL, then shown with their own timezone, local time, and time difference from the airport clock.
Kabul
kabul · 5.6 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Paghmān
paghman · 24 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Istālif
istalif · 32 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Charikar
charikar · 50 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Jabal os Saraj
jabal-os-saraj · 61 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Baraki Barak
baraki-barak · 71 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Bāzārak
bazarak · 88 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Mehtar Lām
mehtar-lam · 92 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Gardez
gardez · 108 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Jalālābād
jalalabad · 115 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Bāmyān
bamyan · 130 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ghazni
ghazni · 134 km · Asia/Kabul
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Airlines and Network Role
Kabul 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: Peshawar (PEW), Attock (ISB), Faisalabad (LYP). Treat them as distance and clock cues, then verify flight availability with the carrier.
Planning checkpoints
- Traffic signal: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Terminal footprint: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Runway footprint: 1 runway; longest runway 11,483 ft / 3,500 m; identifiers 11/29.
- Runway surfaces: asphalt; 1 lighted runway in the source snapshot.
- Operator / management: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Opened / inaugurated: 1960.
- Network role: mixed or not clearly stated in the source trail.
Nearby Airports
Nearby airports are ranked by coordinate distance from KBL. The time difference column is computed from IANA zones against the page snapshot, while the local clocks update in the browser.
Bacha Khan International AirportPEW
Peshawar · large airport
- Distance
- 221 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h 30m
- Elevation
- 1,158 ft (353 m)
Compare against PEW when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Islamabad International AirportISB
Attock · large airport
- Distance
- 352 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h 30m
- Elevation
- 1,761 ft (537 m)
Compare against ISB when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Faisalabad International AirportLYP
Faisalabad · large airport
- Distance
- 501 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h 30m
- Elevation
- 591 ft (180 m)
Compare against LYP when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Companion Planning Tools
Questions
FAQ
What timezone is Kabul International Airport (KBL) in?▾
Kabul International Airport is in the Asia/Kabul timezone (UTC+04:30, AFT).
What are the codes for Kabul International Airport?▾
Kabul International Airport uses IATA code KBL and ICAO code OAKB.
Where is Kabul International Airport located?▾
Kabul International Airport is located in Kabul, Afghanistan at coordinates 34.5659° N, 69.2123° E, with an elevation of 5,877 ft (1,791 m) (high-elevation field in the subtropics).
How far is Kabul International Airport from central Kabul?▾
Kabul International Airport sits roughly 5.6 km from the nearest mapped city center for Kabul.
Which route reference is most useful from KBL?▾
Peshawar (PEW) is one of the closest route references on this page, with an estimated travel window of 1h 7m, destination timezone Asia/Karachi, and a +0h 30m difference from KBL.
How many runways does Kabul International Airport have?▾
Kabul International Airport's source-backed operational summary lists 1 runway, with the longest runway recorded at 11,483 ft / 3,500 m; identifiers include 11/29.