Kam Air (IATA: RQ, ICAO: KMF) is Afghanistan‘s largest private airline and the first privately owned commercial carrier in the country. Founded in 2003 by Afghan businessman Zamarai Kamgar, who also leads the Kamgar Group, the airline is headquartered at Kabul International Airport (now Hamid Karzai International Airport) with branches in Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Hairatan. It employs over 800 people and operates a fleet of around 11 aircraft, including Boeing 737-300/500 models, Airbus A340-313, and a Boeing 747-200 freighter for cargo. Kam Air holds an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC No. 001) issued in August 2003 by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, is an active member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and has earned a 5-star IOSA safety rating, making it four times safer than non-IOS A airlines according to IATA standards.
The airline provides scheduled domestic passenger services to key Afghan cities like Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar, Tarin Kot, and Bost, as well as international routes to destinations in Central Asia (e.g., Almaty, Dushanbe), South Asia (e.g., New Delhi, Islamabad), the Middle East (e.g., Dubai, Mashhad), and others like Moscow and the new Kabul-Sabiha Gökçen (Istanbul) route starting September 4, 2025. It also offers cargo services with up to 105 tons capacity per flight, charter flights for governments, NGOs (e.g., Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council), and militaries (e.g., US Army, Afghan National Security Forces), and a loyalty program called Orange Miles for earning redeemable points. Kam Air emphasizes safety, reliability, and value, with a mission to connect Afghanistan globally while transporting humanitarian aid during crises.
Brief History
Kam Air was established on August 30, 2003, by Zamarai Kamgar, a Tajik heritage entrepreneur with ties to influential figures like General Abdul Rashid Dostum, amid post-Taliban reconstruction efforts. Its inaugural flight on November 8, 2003, used a single Boeing 727 to connect Kabul with Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif domestically; international services began in May 2004 with a route to Dubai. The airline expanded rapidly, adding diverse aircraft like ATR 42/72, Fokker 70/100, Saab 340, and Douglas DC-8, while breaking even by 2004 and achieving $24 million in revenue by 2006.
A major setback occurred on February 3, 2005, when Kam Air Flight 904 (a leased Boeing 737-200) crashed in poor weather near Kabul, killing all 104 on board and complicating international approvals. Operations paused briefly after a 2018 Taliban attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, which killed 11 Kam Air crew members. Despite challenges, including the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic—during which it uniquely ferried humanitarian aid and set a record for Afghanistan’s longest flight (Nanjing, China, to Santiago, Chile)—Kam Air resumed full services post-2021 Taliban takeover, relocating some aircraft to Iran temporarily for safety. On February 24, 2021, it pioneered Afghanistan’s first all-female crew flight (two pilots, four cabin crew) from Kabul to Herat, highlighting gender milestones. Today, it remains a vital lifeline for Afghanistan’s connectivity, with plans for routes to Europe, China, and beyond, boasting $130.3 million in 2025 revenue.
