The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack Monday, saying they were targeting a military convoy of the US-led coalition.
But the dead and wounded initially reported by Afghan Interior Ministry Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi were all civilians, CNN reported.
Taliban militants have repeatedly launched attacks targeting the heavily fortified Kabul airport, part of which is used for military purposes.
In August, a deadly suicide bombing hit a checkpoint on the way to an airport entrance. Last year, gunmen stormed a nearby building in an effort to attack the military side of the airport.
Earlier this month, around 50 people were killed in a Taliban attack at a market bazaar and a school near the airport in the southern city of Kandahar.