Kabul International Airport — Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul International Airport, coded KBL and also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport, sits in a mountain-ringed basin at an elevation that places it among the higher-altitude airports handling international jet traffic. For decades the airport has reflected Afghanistan's turbulent modern history, shifting between civilian, Soviet, mujahideen, Taliban, and international coalition control as the country's political situation changed. Its high surrounding terrain, including peaks of the Hindu Kush visible from the runway, historically posed operational challenges for pilots, particularly in older aircraft with limited performance margins. The airport has alternated between periods of heavy international military and humanitarian traffic and periods of far more limited commercial service, depending on the security and political climate. Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air have historically operated domestic and regional routes from KBL, connecting Kabul to cities within Afghanistan and to neighboring countries.