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PIA becomes first Intl’ flight to land Kabul Airport since Taliban takeover
Kabul: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane carrying a handful of passengers touched down Kabul airport Monday— becoming the first international commercial flight to land since the new interim setup in Afghanistan.
The Taliban retook power in Afghanistan on August 15. The national flag carrier took foreign journalists to Kabul and returned with a team of World Bank and international media organizations.
Reportedly, there was around 10 people on the flight.
In a statement, Chief Executive Officer PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik said the objective of the flight is to promote goodwill between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said this flight operation is very important for PIA and the entire world.
The PIA CEO expressed hope that the flight operation would soon be fully restored.
A PIA spokesman said at the weekend that the airline was keen to resume regular commercial services, but it was too soon to say how frequently flights between the two capitals would operate.
As per sources, Kabul airport was severely damaged following the chaotic evacuation of more than 120,000 people that ended with the withdrawal of US forces on August 30.