Which Airlines Fly into Afghanistan in 2026?

Ben Johnson

May 21, 2026

The easiest way to get into Afghanistan is to fly directly into Kabul International Airport, previously known as Hamid Karzi International. There are several choices when flying into the country with more and more being added each year. Despite the nature of the country and the odd flare up of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan, flights are regular and usually on time. Here are the airlines that are currently flying into Afghanistan:

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines operates flights 5 times a week from Istanbul to Kabul with the following schedule:

This is a great option for people travelling from North America and Europe although prices can be a little more expensive on the Turkish flights. When you land at Istanbul Airport it is also common to be met off the plane with police who may ask you questions as to why you were in Afghanistan.

Fly Dubai

Fly Dubai is usually the cheapest airline to fly into Kabul. Sometimes when the flights are not sold out however they will cancel one of the flights. Depending on the time of year you may find some of the planes half empty which is always a nice surprise. Fly Dubai flights all depart from Terminal 2 at Dubai International (DXB). If you are super luck and everyone boards the flight early they may even depart from Dubai early.

Etihad

Etihad is the newest player in the game to begin operating flights to Kabul with a service four times a week.

Air Arabia

Air Arabia is one of the more budget-friendly options that fly into Kabul, however they do not has as much of a regular schedule. For the time being there are currently no scheduled flights on Air Arabia for the summer of 2026.

Kam Air

If you want to travel with an Afghan airline, we will always choose Kam Air. While their flight from Dubai is not the greatest (often early in the morning), they do depart from Terminal 1 at DXB and services is always great on board.

Kam Air also flies some of the largest aircraft that are used for commercial uses into Kabul. Kam Air has several Airbus A340a which are used sometimes on domestic routes, particularly in winter with snowy roads force more people to fly.  These large aircraft are also used to transport large amounts of cargo, particularly from India. The last time we flew this route from Delhi to Kabul the plane was almost half empty.

Ariana Afghan

This is the flagship Airline of Afghanistan and is particularly great for flying domestically in Afghanistan. The current schedule is:

Important things to note

One thing all travellers using the new E-visa system should note is that your e-visa is currently only valid to be used on arrival at the airport and cannot be used at land border crossings.

Can you cross land borders?

Yes, you can also cross into Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as long as you have the relevant visas (if you need one). The largest border is with Pakistan and previously this was open, however as of May 2026, this border is still closed to foreign tourists. The border with Iran is open, however travel to Iran is currently not advised at this time.  Note that for some nationalities if you go and get a physical visa it may restrict you into only being able to fly into the country.  For more information on land border crossings read this blog here: A Guide to Afghanistan’s Land Border Crossings in 2026.

To join us in Afghanistan send us an email to [email protected] and for information on our Afghanistan group tour dates, check out our website here .