Taliban ask airlines to resume international flights to Afghanistan
The Taliban government in Afghanistan appealed on Sunday for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.
The statement from the foreign affairs ministry comes because the new administration has 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 are operating from the airport. But normal commercial services have yet to resume since it had been closed 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 help of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey.
While some airlines including Pakistan International Airlines are offering limited services and a few people are ready to get places on flights, prices are reported to be repeatedly above normal.
Foreign ministry 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 issues at Kabul International Airport are resolved and therefore the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the IEA assures all airlines of its full cooperation,” he said, using an abbreviation for Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s term for his or her new government.
Since taking power, the Taliban have grappled with a severe depression and have faced pressure on issues starting from girls’ education to allegations of reprisals against former officials et al. related to the previous government.
