Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
| Company type | Airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Predecessor | Bakhtar Airlines |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Defunct | 1988 (merged into Ariana Afghan Airlines) |
| Fate | Merged with Ariana Afghan Airlines |
| Headquarters | Afghanistan |
Area served | Domestic Afghanistan, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines was an airline headquartered in Afghanistan, predominantly providing internal air services. Established in 1967 under the name Bakhtar Airlines, it maintained this designation until 1985 when it was renamed Bakhtar Afghan Airlines following influence from the Pashtun-led government. That same year, Bakhtar incorporated Ariana Afghan Airlines, becoming the nation's exclusive carrier until both airlines consolidated under the Ariana name in 1988.
Destinations
The airline operated regular flights to several important domestic locations, including:
- Bamyan – Bamyan Airport
- Chaghcharan – Chaghcharan Airport
- Darwaz – Darwaz Airport
- Fayzabad – Fayzabad Airport
- Herat – Herat Airfield
- Jeddah – King Abdulaziz International Airport
- Kabul – Kabul International Airport (hub)
- Kunduz – Kunduz Airport
- Khwahan – Khwahan Airport
- Maymana – Maymana Airport
- Mazar-i-Sharif – Mazar-i-Sharif Airport
- Shegnan – Sheghnan Airport
Aircraft utilized in operations included models such as the Yakovlev Yak-40 and the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.
Accidents and incidents
Notable events involving Bakhtar aircraft were:
- 25 January 1972: Yakovlev Yak-40 (YA-KAD) sustained irreparable damage during approach at Khost Airfield.
- 18 April 1973: Twin Otter (YA-GAT) crashed shortly after takeoff from Bamyan Airport, causing four deaths.
- 10 March 1983: Twin Otter (YA-GAZ) went down near Ghazni amid a thunderstorm, with all 19 passengers and crew lost.
- 8 January 1985: Twin Otter (YA-GAY) suffered damage during landing at Bamyan; no casualties reported.
- 4 September 1985: Antonov An-26 (YA-BAM) was shot down close to Kandahar amid the Soviet–Afghan conflict, resulting in the deaths of all 52 onboard.
- 11 June 1987: Antonov An-26 (YA-BAL) was mistakenly targeted and shot down near Khost, killing 53 out of 55 occupants.
These incidents underscore the operational hazards faced by the airline within Afghanistan’s volatile environment and periods of conflict.
2020-2021 relaunch
In 2020, Bakhtar Airlines recommenced services concentrating on domestic routes, operating a single Boeing 737-500 aircraft leased from Ariana Afghan Airlines.