The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, under the control of Taliban, has written to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking resumption of Afghan national carriers flights to and from Delhi.
According to a report in The Indian Express, DGCA chief Arun Kumar confirmed receiving the letter from the Taliban regime and said the decision on the matter will be taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation as it was a policy issue.
“The intention of this letter is to keep the smooth passenger movement between two countries based on the signed MoU and our national carriers (Ariana Afghan Airline and Kam Air) aimed to commence their scheduled flights. Therefore, Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority requests you to facilitate their commercial flights,” Afghanistan’s Acting Minister for Civil Aviation and Transport Alhaj Hamidullah Akhundzada reportedly wrote to Arun Kumar on September 7.
The Afghanistan airspace was declared ‘uncontrolled’ and was closed for civilian flights on August 16 after the Taliban took control of Kabul. Since then, the Taliban government, with the help of Qatar, has managed to resume several airports in the country, including at Kabul, the report added.
Afghanistan’s Ariana Afghan Airline has already been operating domestic flights, and the first international commercial flight under the Taliban was operated between Islamabad and Kabul on September 13 by Pakistan International Airlines.
Currently, regular international flights out of Kabul are being operated to Pakistan and Iran.
“The Civil Aviation of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan avails its highest assurance,” the letter added.
“As you are well informed that recently the Kabul Airport was damaged and dysfunctional by American troops before their withdrawal. By technical assistance of our Qatar Brother, the Airport became operational once again and a NOTAM in this regard issued on September 6,” Akhundzada reportedly wrote in the letter to DGCA.
Prior to the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, Air India and SpiceJet operated flights between Delhi and Kabul. While Air India operated its last scheduled flight to Kabul on August 15, SpiceJet had suspended its flights last year during the Covid-19 pandemic, the report said.
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