Afghan carriers resume flights; foreign operators cautious

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has given Kam Air (RQ, Kabul) the greenlight to start commercial flights to Islamabad Quaid-e-Azam Int’l in Pakistan, local media have reported citing a PCAA document.

Following a letter from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Transport in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the PCAA decided to award the privately-owned Afghan carrier 3x weekly rights to the Pakistani capital gateway. Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that as of September 22, Kam Air has already resumed operating the route on a scheduled basis using B737-300s.

Aside from Pakistan, Kam Air is currently running flights (both scheduled and charter) to Mazar i Sharif domestically, Tbilisi (Georgia), and Abu Dhabi Int’l. Both of Kam Air’s A340-300s are also active on commercial flights into and out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

State-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines (FG, Kabul) is also active with one B737-400 while sister carrier Bakhtar Afghan Airlines (BM, Kabul) is also using its sole B737-500.

On Sunday, September 26, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked foreign airlines to resume commercial flights to and from Kabul, saying that all technical problems at the capital’s airport had been resolved and that the facility “is fully operational.”

As of September 21, NOTAMs for Kabul report the airfield to be open to domestic and international flights but only between 0130Z (0600L) and 1330Z (1800L). Primary and secondary surveillance radars are available with air traffic services also available once more. However, the VOR is currently out of order.

According to the VOA Pashto service, the absence of any large-scale scheduled services to Afghanistan have seen the cost of flights skyrocket, leading to the Taliban’s appeal. So far, aside from a handful of PIA – Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad Quaid-e-Azam Int’l) charters, no foreign carrier has yet committed to returning to Kabul on a regular basis.