Taliban Appeals for Resumption of International Flights to Kabul

NEW DELHI, Sept 26: The Taliban, the new rulers of Afghanistan on Sunday appealed to all international flight operators to resume flight operations to and from Kabul saying that all problems at Kabul airport had been resolved. It has also promised full cooperation with the international airlines.

The statement comes as the Taliban stepped up efforts to open up the country and gain international acceptance following the collapse of the Western-backed government last month. A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport but normal commercial services have yet to resume since it was closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Taliban’s seizure of the capital.

The airport, which was damaged during the evacuation, has since been reopened with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey. While some airlines including Pakistan International Airlines have been offering limited services and some people have been able to get places on flights, prices have been reported to be many times higher than normal.

Taliban spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of international flights had left many Afghans stranded abroad and also prevented people from travelling for work or study. “As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) assures all airlines of its full cooperation,” he said. IEA is the Taliban’s term for the Afghan airlines.

(Manas Dasgupta)