Taliban asks airlines to restart int’l flights, promises cooperation

The Taliban government in Afghanistan appealed on Sunday for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.

The statement from the foreign affairs ministry comes as the new administration has stepped up efforts to open up the country and gain international acceptance following the collapse of the Westernbacked government last month.

A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport. But normal commercial services are yet to resume since they were closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Taliban’s seizure of the capital.

The airport, which was damaged during the evacuation, has since been reopened with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey.

While some airlines including Pakistan International Airlines have been offering limited services and some people have been able to get places on flights, prices have been reported to be many times higher than normal. Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of international flights had left many Afghans stranded abroad and also prevented people from travelling for work or study.

Since taking power, the Taliban have grappled with a severe economic crisis.

While passenger and aid flights have been operating from the airport, normal commercial services are yet to resume since last month’s chaotic evacuation