Civilian Aviation

A couple of shots from last week at Mazar I Sharif airport in northern Afghanistan.

This is the original 1950s Soviet built terminal building.


The original Soviet terminal at Mazar I Sharif by Timothy Young, on Flickr

And the new terminal opened in 2013 with German funding. You can just make out a few of the NATO soldiers by the doors on the right side, the airports are literally packed with NATO uniformed soldiers with enough firearms to stop a tank regiment. However, outside the building all the security is in the hands of the local Afghan military and police forces.


Mazar E Sharif International Airport by Timothy Young, on Flickr

Kam Air is one of the main Afghan Airlines and one of their most recent arrivals is this ex-Air Europa 737-400 here on a Kabul domestic.


KamAir 737-400 UR-CQU at Mazar i Sharif by Timothy Young, on Flickr

A more veteran member of the fleet is this 1991 vintage ex-SAS MD-87 also on a Kabul domestic.


Kam Air MD-87 YA-KMO at Mazar I Sharif by Timothy Young, on Flickr

Or for the classic aviation enthusiast, this 1964 vintage 727. First flying Northwest, it ended up being the personal jet of local Mazar warlord General Dostum and his Balkh Airlines before being given to Kam Air as their first aircraft. Stored in '04 in Kabul it was being flown out to new owners in 2006 when it made an emergency landing at Mazar where it has remained ever since.

Not a great photo I know, taken through a rainy window on my mobile, but of historical interest:


Boeing 727 YA-GAA in Mazar i Sharif by Timothy Young, on Flickr

And to finish off, my plane for the flight in and oddly for the flight out a week later too, a rather more mundane Turkish 739


Turkish Airlines 737-900 TC-JYD at Mazar I Sharif by Timothy Young, on Flickr

Interesting shots from a country that we rarely see shots from, thanks for posting them Tim.