Airport type Public Location Khost, Afghanistan 06/24 8,858 Code KHT | Serves Khost Province Elevation AMSL 3,775 ft / 1,151 m Address Khost, Afghanistan Owner Afghanistan | |
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Operator Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
Afghan Ministry of Defense | ||
Khost Airport (IATA: KHT, ICAO: OAKS) is located next to the city of Khost in eastern Afghanistan. The airport has been used historically for military purposes. It was developed and expanded in recent years for public use. It will be known as Khost International Airport in the near future.
History
The airport was expanded by the Soviet Union during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan. It was further expanded during the 2001-2014 war. The United States built a military base there known as Forward Operating Base Chapman.
There had been three major reported accidents, all of them during the 1980s mujahideen fighting and involved Russian-made Antonov An-26 aircraft.
In December 2009, seven CIA employees were killed in a suicide attack at the nearby Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman). The bomber, Humam Balawi of Jordan, wore a suicide vest and blew himself up in the base, killing the base commander, CIA agents and civilian contractors.
Work to improve the Khost Airport began in late 2011. Civilian passengers between Khost and Kabul were allowed to use NATO's Sehra Bagh Airport until Khost Airport was completed. The airport will become international in the near future, taking passengers to and from Dubai.