Nonstop flight route between Kandahar, Afghanistan and Bluefield, West Virginia, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from KDH to BLF:
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- About this route
- KDH Airport Information
- BLF Airport Information
- Facts about KDH
- Facts about BLF
- Map of Nearest Airports to KDH
- List of Nearest Airports to KDH
- Map of Furthest Airports from KDH
- List of Furthest Airports from KDH
- Map of Nearest Airports to BLF
- List of Nearest Airports to BLF
- Map of Furthest Airports from BLF
- List of Furthest Airports from BLF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Kabul International Airport (KDH), Kandahar, Afghanistan and Mercer County Airport (BLF), Bluefield, West Virginia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,229 miles (or 11,634 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Kabul International Airport and Mercer County Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.
Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Kabul International Airport and Mercer County Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | KDH / OAKN |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Kandahar, Afghanistan |
GPS Coordinates: | 31°30'25"N by 65°51'1"E |
Area Served: | Southern Afghanistan |
Operator/Owner: | Afghanistan |
Airport Type: | Public/Military |
Elevation: | 3330 feet (1,015 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from KDH |
More Information: | KDH Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BLF / KBLF |
Airport Name: | Mercer County Airport |
Location: | Bluefield, West Virginia, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°17'44"N by 81°12'28"W |
Area Served: | Bluefield / Princeton, West Virginia |
Operator/Owner: | Mercer County Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 2857 feet (871 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BLF |
More Information: | BLF Maps & Info |
Facts about Kabul International Airport (KDH):
- Kabul International Airport (KDH) currently has only 1 runway.
- During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the airfield was used intensively by the Soviet Air Forces, both as logistical facility for flying in troops and supplies and as a base for launching airstrikes against local Mujahideen groups.
- The closest airport to Kabul International Airport (KDH) is Tarin Kowt Airport (TII), which is located 76 miles (123 kilometers) N of KDH.
- Major battles between the Taliban and local anti-Taliban forces had been fought at the airport just days earlier, and when coalition troops arrived there were abandoned weapons - including a BM-21 still loaded with rockets - scattered around the terminal.
- In addition to being known as "Kabul International Airport", other names for KDH include "Kandahar International Airport (Kandahar)" and "میدان هوایی بین المللی کندهار".
- 2009 Surge and onwards
- Eight General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon close air support fighters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force were deployed to Kandahar Airfield to support the expanded NATO operation in southern Afghanistan in late 2006.
- Coalition presence increases
- The furthest airport from Kabul International Airport (KDH) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to Kabul International Airport (meaning Kabul International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,023 miles (19,349 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
- The airport came into the public eye during the tense drama that was played out when Pakistani terrorists belonging to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, who hijacked and landed Indian Airlines Flight 814 on the airfield in December 1999, ordered the Government of India to ensure the release and safe-passage of three alleged Pakistani terrorists in return for letting the occupants of the passenger plane leave without harm.
- During Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001, Kandahar Airport was one of the first coalition bases established in Afghanistan.
- Reconstruction and Canadian deployments
Facts about Mercer County Airport (BLF):
- Mercer County Airport (BLF) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Mercer County Airport (BLF) is New River Valley Airport (PSK), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) ESE of BLF.
- The airport has been served by commercial airlines in the past.
- Mercer County Airport covers an area of 144 acres at an elevation of 2,857 feet above mean sea level.
- The furthest airport from Mercer County Airport (BLF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,493 miles (18,496 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.