Saudi Arabia allows Afghanistan's airlines to operate flights

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has allowed Afghanistan’s airlines to operate emergency flights from the Kingdom in order to send back Afghan nationals, ARY NEWS reported.

According to Afghanistan’s embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi aviation authorities have permitted nine emergency flights for Kabul in order to move out Afghan citizens from the kingdom who were not able to leave previously owing to COVID-19 curbs.

The nine flights, the embassy said would be operated in the next few days from Saudi Arabia and would bring back Afghan nationals.

It is pertinent to mention here that on September 25, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has green-lighted an Afghan airline to start flight operation from Islamabad International Airport.

Kam Air will operate three flights a week from Islamabad airport, according to a CAA notification.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Transport wrote a letter to the CAA seeking permission for two Afghan airlines, including Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines, to start flights to and from Pakistan.

Ariana Airlines has not yet shared its flight schedule with the aviation regulator.

“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 & Kam Air) aimed to commence their schedule,” the ministry’s letter read.

“Therefore, Afghanistan Civil Aviation and Transport Ministry request you to facilitate their commercial flights.”