The first regular flights from Kabul airport started “without functional radar”

A number of regular domestic flights have resumed from the airport in Kabul, the Afghan capital. On Saturday, planes from the Afghan airline Ariana left for the cities of Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif.

Ariana’s manager in Kabul told US news agency AP that the planes took off when the airport’s radar system was not yet functioning. Three more domestic flights are scheduled today.

The resumption of flights is due to Qatari and Turkish aviation experts and air traffic controllers who arrived in Afghanistan last week to get air traffic back on track. It’s been quiet since last Monday the last flight left Kabul with American soldiers, ending the international evacuation operation.

Shortly after, the Taliban took control of the military part of the international airport, the entire airport area got hold of it. After the capture of Kabul by the Taliban on August 15, the area around the airport was the scene of chaos for more than two weeks due to the massive influx of Afghans and foreigners seeking to leave the country . The Taliban refused to allow the evacuation operation to continue beyond the agreed deadline of August 31, although by then not everyone was allowed to do so. outside the country.

Consultation with the Taliban on new evacuations

The international community wants to resume the evacuations and several countries are in talks with the Taliban on this subject. The Netherlands also held consultations with the new Afghan leadership late last week. Outgoing Foreign Minister Kaag spoke on Wednesday and Thursday in Qatar, Pakistan and Turkey on the possibility of restarting evacuation flights from Kabul.

The United Nations calls the reopening of the airport to international air traffic crucial for humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.