Sultan Ghiyassuddin Ghori Airport

Sultan Ghiyassuddin Ghori Airport
Dari: فرودگاه سلطان غیاث الدین غوری
Pashto: د سلطان غیاث الدین غوري هوايي ډګر
Mil Mi-17s of the Afghan Air Force in 2010, a year before the runway was asphalted
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner Afghanistan
OperatorMinistry of Transport and Civil Aviation[1]
ServesGhor Province
LocationFiruzkoh, Afghanistan
Elevation AMSL7,475 ft / 2,278 m
Coordinates34°31′35″N 65°16′15″E / 34.52639°N 65.27083°E / 34.52639; 65.27083 (Chakhcharan Airport (Chakhcharan))
Map
CCN
Location of airport in Afghanistan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 2,001 6,565 Asphalt
ISAF:[2]

The Sultan Ghiyassuddin Ghori Airport (Dari: فرودگاه سلطان غیاث الدین غوری; Pashto: د سلطان غیاث الدین غوري هوايي ډګر; IATA: CCN, ICAO: OACC), also known as Chaghcharan Airport or Shahid General Mohaiden Ghory Airport), is located in the eastern section of Firuzkoh, which is the capital of Ghor Province in central Afghanistan.[3][4][5] It is a domestic airport under the country's Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.[1]

Built at an elevation of approximately 7,475 ft (2,278 m) above sea level, the airport was recently named after Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad. It has one asphalt runway measuring 2,001 m (6,565 ft) long and 30 m (98 ft) wide.[2][6] The Hari River runs south and east of the airport. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and later the NATO Resolute Support Mission used the facility during the international security mission until late 2014.[7]

History

Work to rehabilitate Afghanistan's regional airfields, including Chaghcharan, was supported in the mid-2000s and early 2010s by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Regional Airports Rehabilitation Project and the national transport sector plan.[8][9] The runway was paved and basic airside/landside facilities were built; the airport's opening ceremony took place on 11 September 2011, attended by officials from the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Ghor.[10][11] A Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence overview of the Ghor mission likewise notes the commissioning of a "new modern Chaghcharan airport runway" in 2011 with support from ADB, the Afghan Government and USAID.[12]

Facilities and infrastructure

The airport has a single asphalt runway (06/24) measuring 6,565 ft × 98 ft (2,001 m × 30 m) (approximately 2,001 m × 30 m (6,565 ft × 98 ft)).[2][6][13] ISAF imagery from the 2011 opening shows a small terminal building, a control tower and a fire station adjacent to the apron.[11] Operational publications used by business aviation list the field as joint civil/military, with VFR procedures only, no runway lighting and no jet fuel available; the airport is not an airport of entry.[14][15][16]

Operations

Regular scheduled commercial service to Chaghcharan (now Firuzkoh) has historically been limited and intermittent. In early 2022 Afghanistan's civil aviation authorities announced the resumption of activity at civilian and military airports nationwide following the change of government,[1] while humanitarian access to Ghor has commonly relied on the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).[17] UN system reporting for 2022 noted that UNHAS was reaching Firuzkoh as part of rotations serving remote provincial capitals.[18] In 2024, Afghan authorities stated that 27 airfields, including five international airports, were operational in the country, though scheduled services remained sparse at many regional fields.[19]

Geography and access

The airfield lies at the eastern edge of Firuzkoh, close to the Hari River valley and roughly 1–2 km from the town center, as indicated by the published coordinates and aeronautical charts.[20][21]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 15 May 2024, an Mi-17 helicopter of the Afghan Air Force crashed near Firuzkoh during a rescue operation, reportedly due to technical issues. One person was killed and twelve were injured, according to official statements.[22][23]

Former airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Bakhtar Afghan AirlinesBamyan[24]
Afghan Jet International Kabul
Kam AirHerat, Kabul

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Afghan Civilian and Military Airports Resume Activities". TOLOnews. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Chaghcharan Airport opening ceremony – made by CCR PRT PIO OF1 Paulius Babilas (1)". Flickr (ISAF/Resolute Support Media). 11 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  3. ^ Accident history for CCN at Aviation Safety Network
  4. ^ "Airport information for OACC" – via Great Circle Mapper.
  5. ^ "OACC – Shahid General Mohaiden Ghory Airport". SkyVector. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Chaghcharan Airport (OACC/CCN)". OurAirports. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. ^ "ISAF's mission in Afghanistan (2001–2014)". NATO. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Regional Airports Rehabilitation Project (Phase I)". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Afghanistan Transport Sector Master Plan Update (2017–2036)" (PDF). Asian Development Bank. 2017. p. 55. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Airport opened in capital of Lithuania-supervised Ghor province". The Baltic Course. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Chaghcharan Airport opening ceremony – control tower and fire station". Flickr (ISAF/Resolute Support Media). 11 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Lithuania in the international mission in Afghanistan" (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence. 2014. p. 37. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  13. ^ "OACC – runway data". SkyVector. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  14. ^ "OACC – Chakhcharan/Chaghcharan (Sultan Ghiyassuddin Ghori)". AC-U-KWIK. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Chakhcharan (OACC/CCN) – airport information". Universal Weather and Aviation. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Chaghcharan Airport". Airports-Worldwide. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  17. ^ "United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)". World Food Programme. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  18. ^ "United Nations Afghanistan Results Report 2022" (PDF). United Nations. April 2023. p. 31. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  19. ^ "27 airports operate in Afghanistan". Xinhua. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Airport information for OACC" – via Great Circle Mapper.
  21. ^ "OACC – location and coordinates". SkyVector. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  22. ^ "An Afghan military helicopter crash in western Afghanistan kills at least 1 person, the Taliban say". Associated Press. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  23. ^ "Helicopter Crash in Ghor Leaves One Dead, 12 Injured". TOLOnews. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Bakhtar Afghan Airlines timetables". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
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